Tokyo 1976
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Charles McPherson....
Charles McPherson was born in Joplin, Missouri and moved to Detroit at age nine. After growing up in Detroit, he studied with the renowned pianist Barry Harris and started playing jazz professionally at age 19. He moved from Detroit to New York in 1959 and performed with Charles Mingus from 1960 to 1972. While performing with Mingus, he collaborated frequently with Harris, Lonnie Hillyer (trumpet), and George Coleman (tenor sax).
McPherson has performed at concerts and festivals with his own orchestra.
McPherson was recently featured at Lincoln Center showcasing his original compositions and arrangements with a seven piece ensemble. He has toured the US, Europe, Japan, Africa and South America with his own group, as well as with jazz greats Billy Eckstine, Lionel Hampton, Nat Adderly, Jay McShann and others.
McPherson has recorded as guest artist with Charlie Mingus, Barry Harris, Art Farmer, Kenny Drew, Toshiko Akiyoshi, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. He has recorded as leader on Prestige, Fantasy, Mainstream, Discovery, Xanadu, and most recently Arabesque. His most recent recording is the highly acclaimed "Manhattan Nocturne".
Charles was also the featured alto saxophonist in the Clint Eastwood film "Bird," a biography about Charlie Parker.
McPherson remains a strong, viable force on the jazz scene today. He is at the height of his powers. His playing combines passionate feeling with intricate patterns of improvisation. Throughout his four decades of being an integral performer of the music, Charles has not merely remained true to his BOP origins, but has expanded on them.
Stanley Crouch says in his New York Times article on Charles. "He is a singular voice who has never sacrificed the fluidity of his melody making, and is held in high esteem by musicians both long seasoned and young."
Rein De Graaff....
Born: Dec. 25, 1941 in New York, NY
Years Active: 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s
Biography
A powerful baritonist in the tradition of Pepper Adams, Ronnie Cuber has been making excellent records for over 20 years. He was in Marshall Brown's Newport Youth Band at the 1959 Newport Jazz Festival and was featured with the groups of Slide Hampton (1962), Maynard Ferguson (1963-1965), and George Benson (1966-1967). After stints with Lionel Hampton (1968), Woody Herman's Orchestra (1969), and as a freelancer, he recorded a series of fine albums (both as a leader and as a sideman) for Xanadu and performed with Lee Konitz's nonet (1977-1979). In the mid-'80s, Cuber recorded for Projazz (in both straight-ahead and R&B-ish settings), in the early '90s he headed dates for Fresh Sound and SteepleChase and Cuber performed regularly with the Mingus Big Band.
— Scott Yanow , All Music Guide
Monday 4th May:. Don Byron New Gospel Quintet plus. Donny McCaslin Quartet
Celebrated clarinetist and composer, the Grammy nominated Don Byron is hailed as a crucial member of the contemporary New York jazz scene for his highly imaginative and open-minded playing, covering a number of specialist genres and incorporating jazz influences into a variety of different styles. Donny McCaslin’s group completes a superb quality double bill. Tickets from only £15.
Ronnie Scott's news
The Bill Evans Trio - Summertime (1965)
'Summertime' by The Bill Evans Trio. Recorded in London, 19 March 1965, for the UK TV series Jazz 625. Bill Evans on piano, Chuck Israels on bass, Larry Bunker on drums.
Steven Witser L.A. Philharmonic's Principal Trombonist Dies
Before joining the L.A. Philharmonic in 2007, Witser was assistant principal trombonist and acting principal trombonist of the Cleveland Orchestra.
Steven Witser, principal trombonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, died of an apparent heart attack Monday night in Pasadena, the orchestra announced. He was 48.
FOR THE RECORD:The obituary of trombonist Steven Witser in Wednesday's A section stated that the Philharmonic would dedicate its May 30 concert to his memory. In fact, that concert will be held April 30.
"The shock of Steve's sudden and unexpected death has robbed us of one of our most beloved and respected musicians," Deborah Borda, president and chief executive of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, said in a statement. "He was not only a wonderful player, but a great friend and colleague and very active in the organization. He will be deeply missed."
Witser joined the Philharmonic as principal trombonist in September 2007. Before that he was assistant principal trombonist and acting principal trombonist of the Cleveland Orchestra.
A native of Oakland, Witser was born Aug. 22, 1960.
In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper some years ago, Witser said his mother wanted him to play an instrument but not trumpet, which his brother had already taken up. Witser said he thought of playing drums until the fourth grade, when he found himself with a trombone.
"Everyone picked up an instrument," he told the Plain Dealer. "Ignorance is bliss."
In 1981, Witser earned his bachelor of music degree and performer's certificate at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. That same year, he was a prizewinner in the Munich International Solo Competition. In 1988, he won second prize at the Geneva International Competition for Musical Performers.
Witser joined the Cleveland Orchestra in 1989. He also played with the Center City Brass Quintet and other ensembles.
He is survived by his wife, Marta Jasberg; his parents, Robert and Sharon Witser of Oakland, and a brother, Kenneth Witser.
The L.A. Philharmonic's May 30 concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall will be dedicated to his memory, and the orchestra will perform a short opening piece in his honor.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-steve-witser29-2009apr29,0,7186114.story
Jazz at New England Conservatory: A Timeline of Significant Events
1969 NEC President Gunther Schuller hires saxophonist Carl Atkins to head Department of African-American Music and Jazz Studies, the first such program at a classical conservatory. Composer George Russell and pianist Jaki Byard on Atkins' faculty.
1974 Pianist Ran Blake forms Third Stream Department.
Pianist Jaki Byard, trombonist Phil Wilson, and composer/arranger Ernie Wilkins chair jazz program while Carl Atkins completes master’s degree in wind ensemble conducting.
1978 Composer William Thomas McKinley hired as Jazz Studies Chair
1981 Percussionist/arranger Pat Hollenbeck ’78 hired as Jazz Studies Chair
1983 Bassist Miroslav Vitous hired as Jazz Studies Chair.
1986 Miles Davis receives honorary Doctor of Music degree.
Composer/reed player Hankus Netsky ’76, ’78 MM, hired as Jazz Studies Chair.
Jaki Byard big-band residency.
1987 Sy Johnson big-band residency.
1989 Gerald Wilson big-band residency.
1989 Third Stream vocalist Dominique Eade ’82, ’89 A.D. is the first improvisation student to graduate from the Artist Diploma program.
1989 Improvisation Festival featuring Kenny Barron, Dave Holland and Lewis Nash in newly commissioned Stan Getz piece “Can You Sing Me A Song.” Also included on the Festival were Dominique Eade with Ran Blake on “You Stepped Out of A Dream” orchestrated by Daryl Lowery, and a tribute to George Russell in honor of his 20th year on the faculty.
1990 Cecil Taylor in two-week residency working daily with students toward their performance of his “Burning Poles” piece.
1990 Randy Weston and Melba Liston big-band residency.
1991 Drummer Grisha Alexiev ’91 A.D. is the first Jazz Studies major to graduate from the Artist Diploma program.
Slide Hampton big-band residency.
1992 Sun Ra and his Arkestra work with NEC students in 2-day residency.
Jimmy Heath big-band residency.
1993 Gunther Schuller big-band residency.
1994 Muhal Richard Abrams big-band residency.
1995 Saxophonist Michael Rossi receives Doctor of Musical Arts, one of four in the program’s first graduating class.
Seven-student ensemble joins entering fall class as part of NEC’s four-year collaboration with Thelonious Monk Institute.
Third Stream Department changes name to Contemporary Improvisation. C.I. and Jazz majors share freshman curriculum.
Claire Fischer big-band residency.
1996 Saxophonist Allan Chase ’80 hired as Jazz Studies Chair.
1998 Improvisation Festival with 11 free concerts featuring musicians including trombonist George Lewis, composer George Russell, baroque organist William Porter, pianist Michael Cain, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Paul Bley, percussionist Bob Moses, guitarist Mick Goodrick and vocalist Dominique Eade, Turkish music with Bob Labaree, Peter Row on sitar, and much more.
1999 Funding from the Helen G. Hauben Foundation supports creation of Jazz Master residency program at NEC.
2001 Trumpeter and composer Ken Schaphorst ‘84 M.M. hired as Jazz Studies Chair.
2002 Soprano saxophone great and MacArthur “Genius” Grant winner Steve Lacy returns from 33-year residence in Paris to take his first teaching position at NEC.
2004 NEC becomes partner in the Panama Jazz Festival, sending a group of students each year to perform, teach and do outreach.
2005 Jimmy Earl Foundation begins its support for bassist/composer Dave Holland’s position as Visiting Artist-in-Residence.
2006 NEC awards first Helena Foundation Presidential Scholarship, the first full tuition scholarship in jazz. The first recipient is Dominik Wania ’08 M.M., a pianist.
2008 NEC Preparatory School Creates Youth Jazz Orchestra under direction of Ken Schaphorst.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=34855
The Five: Straight, No Chaser
The Five: "Straight, No Chaser" with Steve Kenny (trumpet), Dave Karr (sax), Mikkel Romstad (piano), Tom Lewis (bass) and Kenny Horst (drums). Live at the Artists Quarter in St Paul 4/18/09
Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Release Five Peace Band Live
The new Chick Corea & John McLaughlin live release Five Peace Band Live is available on 2-CD today 4.28.09 via Concord Records.
Five Peace Band Live, was recorded during Corea & McLaughlin’s European tour last fall. The double-disc CD was originally made available early at performance venues on tour during March as well as via the band’s website, and is now fully available.
The entire album is available to stream at Chick Corea's official Myspace page.
The album features Corea and McLaughlin’s inspired duets as well as all five members negotiating the twists and turns of the compositions. The recording includes Vinnie Colaiuta – drums, Kenny Garrett – saxophone, Christian McBride – acoustic & electric basses, and Herbie Hancock special guests on the track “In a Silent Way / It’s About That Time.”
Five Peace Band Live is available on 2-CD now.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=34792
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Marseillaise....
Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle (1760-1836), a French army engineer, wrote the words and music to the “Marseillaise,” the national anthem of France, in the course of a single night in April 1792. He intended the song to be used as a marching song by the French Army as it entered the Rhineland, following the outbreak of war between France and Austria and Russia. This recording, made circa 1898-1900, is one of the earliest recordings made of the song. In 1893, Henri Lioret (1848-1938), a watchmaker by trade, developed a conical cylinder of celluloid (a less fragile material than the wax that was then commonly used for early recordings) mounted on a brass frame that was capable of recording sound. The first of these cylinders, known as “napkin rings,” were used almost exclusively in talking dolls, but Lioret later increased the size of the rings, which multiplied their uses for recording and replaying sound. In keeping with contemporary conventions, the recording is preceded by an announcement. The names of the musicians are not given. A cornet, a brass instrument particularly well suited to acoustic recording, accompanies the singer.
http://www.wdl.org/en/item/3017/
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Naoko Mizuki - Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
Naoko Mizuki (vo) Hiroyuki Kitagawa (b) Koji Goto (pf) Yasuyuki Sawatari (ds)
Recorded at Studio "F" , 2001
Friday, April 24, 2009
Salute to an Artist of Many Talents....
Some composers write music for anonymous performers, while others, like André Previn, prefer to tailor works to a particular muse. Mr. Previn, who has written pieces for musicians like the pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy and the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, has also been inspired by the violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, who was one of the commissioners of his Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello.
That work received its premiere at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday, performed by Mr. Previn, Ms. Mutter (to whom he was once married) and the cellist Lynn Harrell. It was the second of three concerts celebrating Mr. Previn’s 80th birthday and showcasing him in his various musical guises as pianist, composer and conductor.
Mr. Previn began his career in Hollywood as an orchestrator and film composer. While cementing his reputation later as a conductor of top orchestras and as a classical and jazz pianist, he continued to write music. His catalog includes concertos, an opera and many vocal and chamber works. When asked during a recent interview with Charlie Rose what has brought him most satisfaction in his multifaceted musical life, Mr. Previn replied, “Probably composing.”
Mr. Previn’s Trio felt disjointed as a whole, although there were ear-catching moments. The first movement, “Spirited,” was true to its name, with vigorous melodies for the violin and cello played with zest by both performers. Mr. Harrell’s rich tone was displayed to fine effect in the Adagio, after which came “Lively,” the jazzy final movement.
Mr. Previn’s affinity for jazz could also be heard in the Cadenza from his Double Concerto for Violin and Double Bass (2007), in which Ms. Mutter was joined by Roman Patkolo. The two soloists alternated playing pizzicatos and insistent melodies, at other times sharing an energetic dialogue.
The program also included Mendelssohn’s Trio No. 1, which Mr. Previn, Mr. Harrell and Ms. Mutter recently recorded for Deutsche Grammophon in honor of the Mendelssohn bicentennial. Mr. Previn sounded lackluster here in light of the more vigorous playing of his colleagues, but performed with sensitivity in the Andante.
The program opened with a graceful rendition of the Piano Trio in B flat (K. 502) by Mozart, who Mr. Previn says “is the great composer of all time for me.”
The final concert in André Previn’s birthday series at Carnegie Hall is on Sunday; (212) 247-7800, carnegiehall.org.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/arts/music/24mutt.html?ref=music
Emilio Santiago and Dori Caymmi....
Standing shoulder to shoulder on the stage of Birdland on Wednesday evening, Emilio Santiago and Dori Caymmi, two luminaries of Brazilian bossa nova, engaged in an intimate musical dialogue between the smooth and the rough.
Smoothness was embodied by Mr. Santiago, nicknamed the Nat King Cole of Brazil, who has recorded since the mid-1970s and was making his debut at the club. Because his voice is richer and deeper than Cole’s, the comparison applies only to the extent that both are polished balladeers. Mr. Santiago’s singing has a muscular samba side.
Mr. Caymmi, who played the guitar in addition to singing, stood for roughness, but of a sensitive sort. Whether from emotion, or some innate vocal tic, his singing voice trembles, conveying the sense of a wise patriarch barely holding back a torrent of feeling. Usually, Mr. Caymmi’s vocals slid in behind Mr. Santiago’s as a murmuring commentary emanating from a deeper place, as if the unconscious mind were quietly announcing itself in the background.
The two men are appearing together through Saturday at Birdland as part of the BossaBrasil Festival, an indication that the legacy of Antonio Carlos Jobim is as secure as ever. Jobim songs like “Dindi” and “Corcovado,” which Mr. Santiago performed in the concert’s first section, accompanied by Sergio Brandão on bass, Celso Alberti on drums and Cidinho Teixeira on piano, offer as seamless a blend of melody and steady pop-jazz rhythm as any national music has produced.
The mystical apprehension of nature in these songs lends their romanticism and sadness a cosmic dimension; passion is both transient and the swiftest available connection to the universe, to God, if you will: an ultimate sign of life. In that context Mr. Caymmi’s singing, simultaneously manly and fragile, expresses an appropriate humility and wonder.
As the concert continued, the band was augmented by Hendrik Meurkens, an excellent harmonica player. The music alternated between ballads and medium-hard sambas, with the emphasis on the soft and dreamy. The set included a rendition of “My Foolish Heart,” sung in English by Mr. Santiago, and culminated with the inevitable “Girl From Ipanema.”
In Mr. Santiago’s brisk, joyous interpretation, the narrator wasn’t an adolescent boy pining after a poster girl on the Copacabana, but a vigorous man celebrating the abundance of life, the pleasure of beauty and the intensity of desire.
BossaBrasil continues through Saturday at Birdland, 315 West 44th Street, Clinton; (212) 581-3080, birdlandjazz.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/24/arts/music/24braz.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Electric Violinist Noel Webb Embraces the Digital Age with Give It All
Los Angeles, CA -- What do you do with a violinist that has the soul of Jimi Hendrix and the heart of Muddy Waters? Just as Hendrix redefined rock and Waters electrified the blues, you let Noel Webb do what he does best create music that redefines the landscape of the world around him.
Webb has shared the stage with the “greats" like blues legend John Hammond, jazz legends from John Coltrane's band, Grover Washington, Jr. and rock icons like Blood, Sweat and Tears, The Tubes and REO Speedwagon. One of the most popular instrumental pop violinists played on mainstream radio and innovator of the rock/jazz violin, Webb presents his newest release Give It All with his renowned groove, style and grace that places the violin front and center in the changing genre of adult contemporary music.
What makes this release different is the fact that Webb took his love of the electronic element in music one step forward with a compact, exacting CD release of only five carefully chosen songs. Why limit the release to just five songs? “I really wanted to create something that was easily accessible for fans, yet reflected the intensity of my live performances. There isnt any filler in this CD. All five songs are rock solid as a collection, yet each one is packed with enough energy to stand alone as a single download. Fans are demanding better quality for their money and I intend to give it to them," said Webb.
What stands out about the quality? “When I began my new CD, Give it All, I was humbled by some of the best musicians in Los Angeles calling to be a part of this explosive new sound. Im in heaven at each performance as the audience sways and claps when I exchange riffs with each member." I made Give it All as a violinist to open a new, exciting Pandora's Box, said Webb.
About the artist:
When the violin first chose Noel Webb, he knew that he was being led down a different path. While most violinists were fashioned in the traditional classical structure, Noel was intoxicated by the sounds of Jimi Hendrix and the sultry electricity of rock n' roll music. “Each violin I played, I knew there was personal expression of soul, sex, and outrageous rock in that instrument. With no previous violinist to follow, I knew there was fresh musical discovery there, to let my insides sing out," said Webb.
This same desire to dance within the sphere of the creative muse, also led Webb into other forms of artistic expression. Fans of the daytime television will recall he served as a principle actor for the soap opera General Hospital. Other television/movie appearances include a recurring character in Mad About You, a co-starring role on FBI-Untold Stories and starring roles in movies of the week like The Alamo, Young Riders, The Menendez Brothers and Reluctant Agent. As a Hollywood actor, hed rack up an extensive list of commercials and narrative spots for companies like McDonalds, Honda, Emery, NBC Promo, CBS Promo, 50 A&E biographies, TNN biographies and also movie trailers. As a writer, Webb composed film scores for dozens of movies, television shows, commercials and trailers including History of Violence, Butterfly Effect, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Seabiscuit, Ray, Storm in the Afternoon, The Crow, Sprint commercial, Chevy Geo commercial, Great American Foods commercial, etc.
In 2006, the violin once again took center stage and demanded a place to call home with the CD release of the Soul of Noel Webb. This release would garner national airplay and critical acclaim, making Webb the innovator of contemporary pop electric violin.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=34502
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Diana Krall more than launches album and test to be what “Mrs. Elvis Costello”
Diana Krall more than launches album and test to be what “Mrs. Elvis Costello”
New work of the pianista, “Quiet nights”, arrives at the store tuesday (31).
“I do not obtain to write a letter in hypothesis some”, says the artist.
Diana Krall can now be Mrs. Elvis Costello, but the artist awardee with the Grammy still is owner of an important proper career as jazzist, 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 (31), 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 sleeping. 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 to other room”, of 2004.
Diana Krall, 44 years, is known over all by its interpretations of standards of the jazz, but “Girl in to 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.
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 crazy rock, 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.
Later that it records, Costello can give to ideas on the sequence 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 it is the certainty.”
Singers of jazz homage Brazil...
Diana Krall launches “Quiet nights” and remembers Tone Jobim.
Jane Monheit shows to good Portuguese and song of Ivan Lins.
The relation of love between the jazz and the Brazilian music is old, that still today of the samples of that namoro is exactly firm and that the sorts continue if mixing. Test of this is the albums recently launched by the North American Jane Monheit and the Canadian Diana Krall, both bringing compositions of names consecrated of the bossa-new and the MPB.
A trip to Brazil in 2007 was what record inspired Diana Krall to dedicate to its 12º to the bossa-new - also it was this way again in the passed year, singing in homage to the anniversary of 50 years of the musical sort and recording a DVD, intitled “Live in River”, that it is foreseen to leave in May.
The record of Diana Krall gained the name of “Quiet nights”, heading in English for “Corcovado”, and brings in encarte a great photo of Rio De Janeiro. The repertoire makes one mix of classics of the jazz, as “Where or when”, celebrity in the voice of Frank Sinatra, with songs of Tone Jobim, as “Girl of Ipanema”, that it gained adaptation and it turned “The boy from Ipanema”, and” This its look ", sung in a macarrônico Portuguese. Beyond, clearly, of the song that of the name to the COMPACT DISC.
The record still brings “Only nice”, version in English of “Samba of summer”, signed for the Marcos brothers and Pablo Sergio Valle. E counts on the participation of the arranjador Claus Ogerman, that worked in such a way with Sinatra how much with Jobim.
Already Jane Monheit, in “The lovers, the dreamers and me”, basically follows the same prescription, only that instead of Tone Jobim, Ivan Lins sings, composer of who is fan since always and whose musics have the old habit to record. While it supports its repertoire of jazz with “Get out of town”, of Cole Porter, it brings a version in English of “Perhaps”, of Lins.
The excellent Portuguese of the singer - of skillful voice it only can be heard some bands later, in “The first time” (of Bide and Armando Marçal), in which it risks itself in a likeable samba. In 2007, the singer already had launched a record with strong Brazilian influences, showing partnerships with Sergio Mendes and Ivan Lins, beyond presenting a song of Jobim, “Only had of being with you”.
The surprise of this its new record is on account of the opening music, “Like to star”, composed for Corinne Bailey Rae, celebrity for hit “Put your records on”.
http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Musica/0,,MUL1092372-7085,00.html
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Trumpet battle on Neal Hefty's Duet....
Trumpet Battle of Italians jazz masters Emilio Soana and Pippo Colucci on Neal Hefty's "Duet" accompanied by Jazz Company Big Band leaded by Gabriele Comeglio. Performed on 25/10/2009 in Teatro Martinetti in Garlasco (italy)
Brian Browne Trio - Girl Talk
In 1969, CBC Television produced "The Jazz Piano", a special arts programme featuring a select group of jazz pianists: Errol Garner, Bill Evans, Marian McPartland, and Brian Browne. A Canadian jazz pianist extraordinaire, Brian Browne has a unique natural gift for music that is manifested through a highly individual sense of musical artistry - a gift which granted Browne a certain membership to the distinguished company featured in the programme.
Brian Browne has produced seven recordings that have come to be treasured by those who possess them. "The Letter", issued by Capital Recordings was a recognized hit. It featured the composition "Morning Noon and Night-time Too", for which Browne won the coveted BMI Composition of the Year award in 1974. With a musical career that spans over thirty years, he has gained a reputation as a true Canadian jazz legend. Recently, he returned to Canada from a 10 year stay in New York City where his current release "Live at Tramps" was recorded.
Originally from Montreal, Browne moved as a teenager to Ottawa, where his musical career soon began. By the age of eighteen he was playing in local clubs and soon had his own CBC radio programme. He studied at the Berklee School of Music and later won a scholarship to study with Oscar Peterson in Toronto. In 1986 he opened Zoe's Lounge in Ottawa's Chateau Laurier hotel and remained there for a year as musical director. He subsequently moved to New York City, where he spent several years actively in the music scene. With his return to Ottawa, long-time fans of Browne's soulful, swinging piano sound are once again delighted by his local appearances.
http://www.brianbrowne.com/#
Brian Browne Trio - Girl Talk
Brian Browne Trio playing the song Girl Talk on the CBC special Jazz Piano Festival.
Carole Alston - Girl Talk
Carole Alston vocal, Erwin Schmidt piano, Uli Langthaler bass, Walter Grassmann drums performing Neal Hefti's Girl Talk on October 30th 2007 at Bühne im Hof Sankt Pölten.
Carole Alston....
Jan - 2009
„My God, you are fabulous.”
(LEONARD BERNSTEIN, Feb 1982)
“....a voice as dark and sweet as molasses...”
(FINANZIAL TIMES, Dec 2004)
„Charismatic as all hell, Alston can belt like a
red hot mamma or lend layers of meaning
to "Lover Man" with her smoky, sensual tone.”
(VARIETY, Sept 2006)
Right after completing her studies (Dance, Acting and Voice) at the Howard University College of Fine Arts in Washington Carole was engaged to Switzerland and undertook tourneys to Berlin (Theater des Westens), Karlsruhe, Kaiserslautern, Cologne, Paris, Graz, Linz and Vienna.
Carole played leading roles in several musicals as in Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate" (Kate), in A.L.Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" (Mary Magdalene), Mitch Leigh's "Der Mann von LaMancha" (Aldonza) or in Leonard Bernstein's "Trouble In Thahiti" and "West Side Story" (Anita) - Seeing her Mr Bernstein raved: "My God, you are fabulous."
Carole appeared in theatre pieces as well as with classical and contemporary music, Jazz, Gospel and Blues in radio and television. On stage with artists from Karl Schönböck till David Hasselhof, from Harry Neuwirth till José Carreras.
After years of touring - e.g. with Bernstein's "Mass" - Carole settled in Vienna. Besides teaching she has sung at the Volksoper, in the Karajan Center, the Wiener Musikverein and the Linzer Brucknerhaus. In Vienna she also performed two contemporary pieces composed by Nancy van de Vate "Cocaine Lil" and "Venal Vera".
In 2000 she choreographed, staged and played the part of "Nell" in "Ain’t Misbehavin -The Fat's Waller Musical".
At the Wiener Kammer Oper she performed the role again (under the direction of Giorgio Madia), as well as the role of Julia in the European premiere of the A Cappella Musical "Avenue X" in 2005.
As jazz vocalist first appeared with Erich Kleinschuster, to present performances in Jazzland, Birdland, Porgy and Bess, the Salzburger Jazzherbst and other events.
In 2006 Carole performed on her own piece on the remarkable and all-too-brief life of Billie Holiday in Vienna´s English Theatre and her last program "Ladies You´re On" in Birdland and Jazzland.
In 2007/2008 Carole not just started to do some recording at the studio, after many years of touring - especially in the 80's - Carole started again to travel at least a little bit. The result were fine concerts in Istanbul, Praha, Warzawa, Istanbul and several cities on Canada’s eastcoast.
http://www.carolealston.com/media/bio.pdf
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Frank Morgan....
by scott yanow
It is a real rarity for a jazz musician to have his career interrupted for a 30-year period and then be able to make a complete comeback. Frank Morgan showed a great deal of promise in his early days, but it was a long time before he could fulfill his potential. The son of guitarist Stanley Morgan (who played with the Ink Spots), he took up clarinet and alto early on. Morgan moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1947 and won a talent contest, leading to him record a solo with Freddy Martin. Morgan worked on the bop scene of early-'50s Los Angeles, recording with Teddy Charles (1953) and Kenny Clarke (1954), and leading his own album for GNP in 1955. But then 30 years of darkness intruded. A heroin addict (following in the footsteps of his idol Charlie Parker), Morgan was arrested for possession of drugs and was in and out of jails for decades. He performed locally on an occasional basis, but it was not until 1985 when he had an opportunity to lead his second date. Morgan managed to permanently kick drugs and after an initial period, during which he sounded very close to Charlie Parker, he developed his own bop-based style. Frank Morgan has recorded a string of excellent sets for Contemporary, Antilles, and Telarc, and has become an inspiring figure in the jazz world. His most recent albums include Tribute to Charlie Parker(2003), City Nights: Live at the Jazz Standard (2004), Raising the Standard (2005), and Night in the Life: Live at the Jazz Station (2007).
www.allmusic.com
Friday, April 17, 2009
Jazz at Lincoln Center....
Jazz - we play it, we teach it, we write it, we dance it, we sing it, we present it, we photograph it, we film it, we produce it, we archive it, we record it, we broadcast it, we commission it, we celebrate it, we love it, we share it. Welcome!
Our mission and purpose is...
To enrich the artistic substance and perpetuate the democratic spirit of America's music. From down home and elegant concert performances by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra... to entertaining educational programs that bring the sound and feeling of jazz into the lives of thousands of kids and grownups... to innovative collaborative programs with artists in diverse idioms: we offer top quality musicianship and universal friendship. By taking the feeling of jazz on tour and by inviting artists and audiences from all over the world into our new home in New York City, Frederick P. Rose Hall, we bring people together for a simple purpose: To Have a Profoundly Good Time. Welcome is our motto.
Strategies
Our vision and mission is accomplished through four fundamental components...
Curatorial
We produce and present world class, well-rehearsed performances involving the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, other resident orchestras and ensembles, specials groups that we assemble and visiting artists, ensembles and soloists.
Educational
We foster the engagement and development of listeners of all ages who wish to appreciate and understand the art of jazz. We offer educational programming and materials for student musicians of all levels from elementary to post graduate school who wish to understand how to perform jazz. We also offer assistance to educators from all disciplines and levels who wish to impart knowledge about jazz.
Archival
We maintain and continually develop and make available a comprehensive library of original scores, transcriptions, arrangements, books and artifacts important to jazz. We also document and disseminate our curatorial and educational endeavors.
Ceremonial
We maintain and revive when necessary the great ceremonies of jazz: parades, picnics, jam sessions, big-band battles, cutting contests and funeral celebrations. We also seek to establish and maintain our own ceremonies.
Simply Put...
Jazz - we play it, we teach it, we write it, we dance it, we sing it, we present it, we photograph it, we film it, we produce it, we archive it, we record it, we broadcast it, we commission it, we celebrate it, we love it, we share it.
Welcome!
Maria João....
The ONGD CIC-Portugal invited the jazz singer Maria João to be the godmother of a mega-campaign of angariação of deep, to revert in favor of the moçambicanas children, of the city of the Namaacha, the 80 km of the Maputo capital.
The partner of CIC-Portugal in this campaign of solidarity is the operator AIR Telecom, that disponibilizou a line of calls of added value. Cost of each call is of 60 cêntimos (which if adds IVA), the one that if removes 48 we cêntimos for the cause. The number of telephone associated with the campaign is 760 301 111 and the line will be active during 3 weeks. It is intended to angariar, at least, the amount of 8.000, 00 Euros.
The campaign “To each call, a fed child” its beginning designated with a conference of the press in the headquarters of AIR Telecom started officially in day 19 of February, being, where they had been collaborating gifts direcção and of CIC-Portugal, the administration of AIR Telecom and the godmother of the campaign, Maria João. The campaign finishes at the beginning of April.
The campaign destines it to angariar financial resources enough to feed per one year about 200 children and young resident orphans in the Boarding school Auxiliadora Maria, pertaining the Salesiana Congregation. These children and young with ages between the 5 and 17 years, do not have the support of the World-wide Program of the Feeding and the poverty situation where if they find is very serious. The foreseen duration of the campaign is of three weeks.
CIC-Portugal Association for the Cooperation, Interchange and Culture, is an organization vocacionada for the international cooperation and the support the carenciadas populations. Member of the Platform of the ONGD registada `s and in the Ministry of the Foreign affairses (DR, III Series, number 226 of 30/09/1998), the institution appeared in 1992 (DR, III Series, number 48 of 26/02/1992). It has for main objectivo to develop shares of Cooperation, Interchange and Culture in the domínios of the scientific specialties and techniques of its members, in Portugal and with Countries in Ways of Development.
Maria Grancha João was born in Lisbon in 1956, being son of Portuguese father and moçambicana mother. She is known by the freedom of its interpretations and by its versatility. In December “Chocolate” launched the album, with its musical partner of long date, the pianista Mário Laginha. In January, it presented “Ogre”, one projecto musical electrónico, with the company of the young pianista João Flour.
AIR Telecom is a total independent operator, with proper digital infrastructure and it offers of integrated services of Digital TV, Internet of Broad band, Telefone and Videoconferência in the Television and traditional services of Voice and Data. Guideline for innovative, competitive and international a service directed particular, professional and the companies.
jazz XXI
Michel Petrucciani - Take the "A" Train
Michel Petrucciani - piano
Steve Gadd - drum
Anthony Jackson - electric bass
Michel Petrucciani....
Michel Petrucciani was born to Italian parents in Montpellier, France. His family was musical, and as a child he played the drums in a band with his father, Tony, a guitarist, and his brother Louis, a bassist.
Michel was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as "glass bones," a disease that stunted his growth (he was only three feet tall and weighed barely 50 pounds) and weakened his bones.
At the age of four he discovered the piano. One evening, seeing Duke Ellington for the first time on television, he pointed at the screen and said, "I want to play that." At Christmas that year his parents gave him a small toy piano. At once Michel seized a hammer and smashed the toy to pieces. "I want a real one," he said. His father bought him an old piano that was falling apart, and made an extension so that Michel's feet could reach the pedals. Michel studied classical music for eight years, then turned his attention to jazz because he loved to improvise and wanted to write his own music. Later on, when he was thirty, Michel paid tribute to the man who first inspired him to want to play the piano in a solo album called Promenade With Duke. Much later, in 1992 he played a duo with his father on a tour called "Like Father, Like Son" to show his love and appreciation for the man who had helped him so much for all of his life.
When Michel was thirteen, he gave his first concert as a professional at the Cliousclat Festival. He had to be carried onto the stage, and used a special attachment to work the sustaining pedal of the piano. This disadvantage didn't affect his hands, however, and, according to reports, he played with amazing vigor and enthusiasm. Also performing at the festival was the American trumpeter Clark Terry, who needed a pianist that day. When Michel offered him his services, Clark thought it was a joke. "'Let's play the Blues,' he said. The minute Michel played, Clark embraced him, and that was where it all started.
A few months after the following concert tour with Terry, a decisive encounter took place in the South of France. Chuck Israels, a bass player who had played with Bill Evans, and Petrucciani's idol, appreciated his lyrical and energetic style so much that he decided to help him along, first by introducing Michel to the drummer Kenny Clarke. Kenny took to him straight away, and things started to look up for the young pianist. Shortly after, in 1980, Petrucciani was invited to a recording studio, where he found himself in the company of the drummer Aldo Romano, trombonist Mike Zwerin and his brother Louis on bass. Michel had first met Aldo Romano at a village fair when he was sixteen, and often referred to him as "my guardian angel." Together they recorded an hour of music. Entitled Flash, the resulting album was a hit. On the heels of this success, Michel Petrucciani was able to form a permanent trio along with Romano and the bass player Jean-François Jenny-Clark.
That year, performing for the first time at the Paris Jazz Festival, he was a sensation at the Theatre de la Ville. The following year, Michel decided, as a challenge, to set off for America. He landed in New York where a friend gave him the address of a musician living on the West Coast. When he arrived at Charles Lloyd's Californian retreat two weeks later, he wasn't aware that it was Charles who had first discovered the young pianist Keith Jarrett back in the 1960s. Once he heard that Michel was also a jazz pianist, Lloyd suggested that he should play something on his Steinway. After hearing a few bars Charles went and fetched his saxophone. For two days they played together non-stop. This shared adventure lasted five years and resulted in three albums. Charles Lloyd really opened every door for Michel—it could not have been a better start for his American career. Moving to California in 1982, he joined Charles Lloyd's new quartet. A solo performance by Michel at Carnegie Hall as part of the Kool Jazz Festival resulted in widespread critical acclaim.
Within a few years, Michel had worked with some of the best jazzmen and rhythm sections in the world. Among them were drummers Al Foster, Jack DeJohnette; bass players Dave Holland, Gary Peacock, Eddie Gomez, Stanley Clarke, Cecil McBee; guitarists Jim Hall, John Abercrombie, John Scofield; saxophonists Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Joe Lovano, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, David Sanborn and Gerry Mulligan, not to mention the legendary trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.
In 1986, at age 21, he became the first French musician to sign with the prestigious Blue Note Label, where he recorded six albums. Michel continued to travel the world, with a youthful energy, forever changing his music groups and environment.
He played and recorded with Lee Konitz. Out of the combination of Konitz's alto sax and Michel's piano came the album Toot Sweet, a duo still considered by European critics to be one of the high–spots of jazz in the 1980s.
Between 1986 and 1994, he made seven albums for Blue Note Records, including "Power of Three" (with Wayne Shorter and Jim Hall), and an acclaimed album of original songs, "Michel Plays Petrucciani" (Blue Note).
In 1994 Michel was made a knight of the Legion of Honor in Paris.
Michel toured Germany, Italy and France in 1997, playing at all the festivals. A sextet tour followed, featuring Anthony Jackson, Steve Gadd, Bob Brookmeyer with Flavio Boltro on trumpet and Stefano di Battista on alto and soprano saxophones. This group was one of Michel's most rewarding efforts, performing into the following year and recording Both Worlds for Dreyfus Records, released in 1998. The CD is entirely comprised of Petrucciani compositions, beautifully arranged by Bob Brookmeyer.
On January 6th, 1999, Michel Petrucciani passed away in Manhattan at the age of 36, from a pulmonary infection. At the time of his death Dreyfus Records were readying a release documenting Michel's 1997 solo tour of Europe. Recorded live in Frankfurt, Germany on February 27, the program featured a number of original compositions including the extended "Trilogy In Blois (Morning Sun, Noon Sun and Night Sun In Blois)" and the lyrical "Chloé Meets Gershwin". Michel also paid homage on Solo Live to a couple of his heroes with an expansive rendition of Duke Ellington's trademark "Caravan" and a medley of his own "She Did It Again" and Billy Strayhorn's "Take The A Train".
Michel Petrucciani was a national hero in France, and his records were best sellers in Europe. French President Jacques Chirac was among the many who paid tribute to him, praising his ability to "renew jazz, giving himself up to his art with passion, courage and musical genius." He called him an "example for everyone."
http://www.jazzprofessional.com/profiles/Michel%20Petrucciani.htm
Barry Mosley....
I started playing trombone and piano at age 12. After hearing a Bob Brookmeyer album I made the valve trombone my instrument. I studied in the California Bay Area playing in the band of HERB PATNOE. It was at this time I had the honor to play with the great CHET BAKER by his invitation. This was a great experience for me because he was my first influence and still my favorite trumpet player. In the last few years I have been living in Los Angeles, playing in some of the major Jazz clubs here with my " Cool Jazz Trio " , including a one and a half year steady gig at the famous Vitello's resturant in Studio City. I have two CD's on the market with some radio play in the USA and Europe. Im looking to expand my preformances to Europe and Japan.
PRESS STATEMENT " Barry Mosley is one of the leading valve trombone players on the Jazz scene today. His rustic warm tone and lyrical style is uniquely his, though his playing shows a great respect for the masters of the valve trombone that have come before him. Masters such as Bob Brookmeyer and Rob McConnell. Barry continues in this rich tradition while having found his own lyrical voice on this wonderful instrument. " article by TIM PADILLA - co founder NewFoundRecords
Currently living in Studio City and working with my COOL JAZZ TRIO. Recently released albums: SPEAK SOFTLY and JAZZ TIME now available at www.barrymosley.com
www.myspace.com
Ronnie Scott's....
20th-22nd April: Dear Miles - Ron Carter's Foursight
A living legend on the bass, Ron Carter is one of the most recorded bassists in jazz having appeared on over 2,500 albums. Ron came to prominence via the second great Miles Davis Quintet of the early 60’s, which included Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams. This band will pay tribute to Miles and will feature pianist Stephen Scott, percussionist Rolando Morales-Matos and drummer Payton Crossley.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Sue Richardson
Sue plays on Ian Shaw's latest release, Sad Sweet Song. It is a tribute to Humphrey Lyttelton. Please check it out on iTunes. .................SUE'S NEW CD 'EMERGENCE' WAS LAUNCHED DURING THE LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL '07................... Sue Richardson is an unusual combination of jazz vocalist and trumpet player, one of just a few female singer/trumpet players worldwide. Her swinging trumpet contrasts wonderfully with her smooth vocals. She began performing from an early age, touring with bigbands by the age of 16. Sue has spent many years touring the world, gigging in 33 countries , in hotels, jazz clubs and on cruise ships. Sue has performed for an amazing variety of events around the world from The Last Night Of The Proms to a rap CD for the top South Korean night club Pharaohs. You can even hear her recorded version of The Girl From Ipanema being played in Rio in the famous bar where the song was written. In recent years Sue has gigged at venues including the Royal ALbert Hall, the Purcell Room, 606 Jazz Club, Birmingham Jazz Festival, Wakefield Jazz, Medway Jazz and the Stables, Wavendon. Sue’s debut album, Out of a Song, released in May 2004 is brought to you by Splash Point Records. In 2002 Sue was delighted to be chosen as a finalist at the Marion Montgomery Jazz Diva Awards. Sue is an Eclipse Artist, she plays Eclipse Trumpets exclusively. Go to my pictures to see the wonderful flower trumpet. www.eclipsetrumpets.com
Eclipse - Sue Richardson Quintet
Sue Richardson performs her composition, Eclipse, on her Eclipse flugel horn in a performance at The London Jazz Festival 2008. In he band are Andy Drudy on guitar, Neal Richardson on piano, George Trebar on double bass and Sam Glasson on drums.
Ronnie Scott's - apr 19
19th April: Celebrating Humph with the Humphrey Lyttelton Band plus special guests Barry Cryer, Tina May & Sue Richardson
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Saturday, 18 April > Tribute to Benny Goodman on Santiago Hot Club - The Sandes Big Band.
The $andes Big Band Santiago Bristle, director. They are 20 musicians who base their repertoire on the classic ones of swing, standard and modern jazz with some influences of the Latin jazz. Count Basie, the Quincys Jones, Duke Ellington, the orchestra of Mel Lewis and Thad Jones, the Big Band de Dizzy Gillespie, etc. are some of their inspirations.
www.purojazz.com
Dionne Warwick and Gal Costa in the Show of the River, Sao Paulo, Curitiba, and P. Alegre,
[7/05/09 you the 9/05/09. ]
Dionne Warwick is not gotten tired to declare its love our music, our land, our people. The artist, who recorded the COMPACT DISC “Watercolor of the Brazil” in 1995 e, in 2007, recorded DVD and COMPACT DISC “Dionne Warwick & Amigos”, with the participation of Gilbert Gil, Jorge Benjor, Ivan Lins, Simone, Emilio Santiago, Batacotô and Milton Birth,
www.proximoshow.com.br
Cultural turn 2009 Maria Rita, Jon Lord, Ike Willis, in Sao Paulo
[2/05/09 you the 3/05/09. ]
Complete programming 2009
Cultural Turn 2009 already has its defined complete programming. The event happens in the center of São Paulo, days 2 and 3 of May, of 18h to 18h. The event, carried through for the City hall of the city, is completing 5 years and must congregate 3 million and 500 a thousand people.
www.proximoshow.com.br
BB King, Billy Preston and Bruce Willis - Sinners Prayer
From the Ray Charles tribute gala!
Listen to Bruce's speech, its sooo true!!
Billy Preston....
Billy Preston's career has spanned five decades, starting as a child prodigy playing the movie role of young W.C. Handy and then playing organ for the likes of Ray Charles and Little Richard. His accomplishments are highlighted by a string of hits, including collaborating with some of the most celebrated names in the music industry, The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, The Jackson Five, Sly and the Family Stone, Barbara Streisand, Sammy Davis Jr., Quincy Jones and perhaps the most famous of all, The Beatles.
Billy's relationship with The Beatles led to his signing with Apple Records in the 60's. Billy is widely acknowledged as the "Fifth Beatle" having been the only party to ever hand his name included in the label credits of the "Let It Be" and the "Abbey Road" albums as well as the landmark "White Album". Billy also appeared with them in the films "The Complete Beatles" and "Let It Be" as well as performing as part of them during their historic rooftop final concert.
In the late '60s Billy worked with John Lennon and Yoko Ono on their solo "Plastic Ono Band" album as well as Ringo Starr's solo single "Oh My My" and he participated in George Harrison's American Tour. In addition Billy Preston was a leading character in the movie "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" also featuring Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees, performing a stunning version of "Get Back".
Preston's name and fame were solidified as a solo artist when he scored a string of Number 1 hit singles including the Grammy winning "Outta Space", "Will It Go Round In Circles", "Nothing From Nothing" and "Space Race".
A prolific writer, Billy Preston penned the multi-platinum standard "You Are So Beautiful" which was performed by his friend Joe Cocker. He also wrote the title songs for a series of box office champions including "Never Gonna Say Goodbye" "Fast Break" and "O'Hara's Wide". The title song from "Fast Break" became a Preston classic hit when performed as a duet with the late Syreeta Wright. Billy also co-wrote the score for the Sidney Poitier movie "They Call Me Mr. Tibbs" with Quincy Jones.
In recent years Billy Preston was the first black musical director of a late night television show "Nightlife" starring David Brenner, was a regular on the UPN series "Good News" and he made a cameo appearance in "Blues Brothers 2000" as part of the super group that included Eric Clapton and Stevie Winwood and B.B. King among others. Billy's participation in the tribute concert "Concert for George Harrison" at Royal Albert Hall and his performance of "My Sweet Lord" has received critical acclaim. Billy recorded on the last album his mentor Ray Charles was to record, toured with The Funk Brothers and Stevie Winwood in Europe in early 2004 and then hit the road, touring extensively and garnering rave reviews for his performances with his dear friend Eric Clapton through Europe and North America. Billy's keyboard dominance was highlighted with the release of the "Let It Be--Naked" album issue.
With his extensive touring and studio involvement Billy Preston has found the time to create special project tribute to his dear friends The Beatles. He's even penned two new songs, one in tribute to George Harrison and another to all four of the fab fellows, "John, Paul, George and Ringo". This project along with a historic DVD companion is due for a fall 2004 release with special appearances and bonuses for Beatles fans.
http://www.billypreston.net/biography.html
Billy Preston - Summertime
Billy Preston on the Hammond B3
Includes imitations of J.S. Bach and Ray Charles.
Joey DeFrancesco....
Joey DeFrancesco has come a long way from All of Me, his recording debut as a leader made in 1989 as a fresh-faced 17-year-old. From the get-go, the Philadelphia native established his credentials with virtuoso technique and an innate soulfulness that he brought to bear on the hulking Hammond B-3 organ which belied his young age but spoke of his deep Philly roots under the tutelage of his father, Papa John DeFrancesco, a B-3 burner in his own right. Through the 1990s, Joey was widely recognized as spearheading a renewed interested in the Hammond organ, an instrument that had fallen out of favor among musicians and the public since its golden period during the 1960s and early 70s.
Joey dazzling facility was once described as by guitar great Pat Martino, himself a veteran of many classic B-3 sessions. Combining monstrous chops with a flair for showmanship and an unquenchable urge to burn, DeFrancesco almost single-handedly put the Beast back in the public eye. As the late critic Leonard Feather wrote in the liner notes to his 1994 recording, All About My Girl: No less significant in the story of Joey’s ascendancy is the ability he has shown to create excitement. The tension he is capable of building brings back to mind a tradition that began some 50 years ago, when Norman Granz’ Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts began stirring up audiences around the country. Listen to a ˜Donna Lee” and other cuts on this CD and you can hardly fail to be moved by the emotion Joey and his colleagues generate.
Today DeFrancesco is regarded by organ aficionados as the baddest B-3 burner in the business (a claim supported by his five consecutive DownBeat Critics Poll awards for 2002, 2003, 2004, 3005and 2006). And while Joey has never made any boastful claims about his own ranking among the organ elite on the contrary, he has always respectfully deferred to his B-3 elders, the fact is, no organist today plays with the skill, harmonic depth, and authority of this phenomenon from Philly. With over 20 solo releases and historic associations with legends such as Miles Davis, Jimmy Smith, Bobby Hutcherson, Elvin Jones and John McLaughlin, DeFrancesco's place in the idiom’s history is cemented.
In addition, Joey has become an owner in a new company, Diversi Organ. Diversi Organ manufactures a new drawbar organ, here in the United States near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Joey was so impressed with the sound produced by their cloning technology that he asked if he could "buy into" the company. This is truly historic as never before has any organist, of his stature, ever owned or been a partner in a company.
http://www.joeydefrancesco.com/bio.html
Frankfurt Musikmesse - Joey DeFrancesco,Luca Serenelli,Cristian Dumitrescu (part.1)
A little jam session at Frankfurt Musikmesse 04/04/2009.Joey DeFrancesco (organ) ; Cristian Dumitrescu (guitar) ; Luca Serenelli (electric piano).
Eartha Kitt - AIN'T MISBEHAVEN
Eartha Mae Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith January 17, 1927) is an American actress, singer, and cabaret star. She is known for her role as Catwoman in the 1960s TV series Batman, and for her 1953 Christmas song "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her "the most exciting woman in the world."
In 1960, Kitt was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She has also received three Tony nominations, two Grammy nominations, and an Emmy win. She was profiled on the December 31, 2007 broadcast of NPR's Morning Edition.
Kitt has said that she is not certain of her parentage, beyond that she was born out of wedlock on a cotton plantation in the tiny town of St. Matthews, South Carolina and is African-American and perhaps Native American on one side and of German or Dutch ancestry on the other.
She was raised by Anna Mae Riley, a black woman whom she believed to be her mother, but after Riley's death, she was sent to live in New York City with Mamie Kitt, reportedly Riley's sister. Today Eartha Kitt believes that Mamie Kitt was her biological mother; she still has no knowledge of her father's identity, except that his surname was Kitt and that he was the son of the owner of the plantation on which she had been born.
Kitt got her start as a member of the Katherine Dunham Company and made her film debut with them in Casbah (1948). A talented singer with a distinctive voice, her hits include "Let's Do It", "C'est si bon", "Just an Old Fashioned Girl", "Monotonous", "Love for Sale", "I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch", "Uska Dara", "Mink, Schmink", "Under the Bridges of Paris", and her most recognizable hit, "Santa Baby." Kitt's unique style was enhanced as she became fluent in the French language during her years performing in Europe. She dabbled in other languages as well, which she demonstrates with finesse in many of the live recordings of her cabaret performances.
In 1984, she returned to hit music with a disco song, Where Is My Man (UK #34); the first certified Gold record of her career. Kitt found new audiences in nightclubs across the country, including a whole new generation of gay male fans, and she responded by frequently giving benefit performances in support of HIV/AIDS organizations. Her 1989 follow-up hit "Cha-Cha Heels" (featuring Bronski Beat) received a positive response from UK dance clubs and reached #32 in the UK charts.
In recent years, Kitt's annual appearances in New York have made her a fixture of the Manhattan cabaret scene. She takes the stage at venues such as The Ballroom and, more recently, the Café Carlyle to explore and define her highly stylized image, alternating between signature songs (such as Old Fashioned Millionaire), which emphasize a witty, mercenary world-weariness, and less familiar repertoire, much of which she performs with an unexpected ferocity and bite that present her as a survivor with a seemingly bottomless reservoir of resilience — her version of Here's to Life, frequently used as a closing number, is a sterling example of the latter. This side of her later performances is reflected in at least one of her recordings, Thinking Jazz, which preserves a series of performances with a small jazz combo that took place in the early 1990s in Germany and which includes both standards (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes) and numbers (such as Something May Go Wrong) that seem more specifically tailored to her talents; one version of the CD includes as bonus performances a fierce, angry Yesterdays and a live rendering "C'est Si Bon" that good-humoredly satirizes her sex-kitten persona.
From October to early December, 2006, Kitt co-starred in the Off-Broadway musical Mimi Le Duck. She also appeared in the 2007 independent film And Then Came Love opposite Vanessa L. Williams.
Personal life
After romances with the cosmetics magnate Charles Revson and banking heir John Barry Ryan III, she was married to Bill McDonald from 1960 to 1965. They had one child, a daughter, Kitt Shapiro. Eartha has two grandchildren, Jason and Rachel. She lived for many years in Pound Ridge, NY, but recently moved to Westport, Connecticut to be near her daughter's family. In 2007, she performed at the Hotel Carlyle in New York.
Kitt was the spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics Smoke Signals collection in August 2007. She re-recorded Smoke Gets In Your Eyes for the occasion, was showcased on the MAC website and the song was played at all MAC locations carrying the collection for the month.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4aKBz5huZQ
Monday, April 13, 2009
Maynard Ferguson....
Louis Armstrong opened the door, but for this twelve-year old trumpeter, Maynard Ferguson was clearly the man. Dizzy and Lee Morgan would soon follow, but Maynard was my first live concert, which was electrifying. That edition of his big band, back in 1964, introduced me to the excitement of live Jazz. I've always prized Maynard's Roulette recordings from that era and as fate would have it, I had the honor of writing the liner notes for Mosaic's reissue of the Complete Roulette Recordings in 1994.
Cut to 1998, when I finally caught up with the man himself, four days after 70th birthday, during a weeklong gig at the Blue Note in New York. We did an interview which appeared in JazzTimes magazine, and I brought along my High 8 camcorder. A couple of months ago, I rediscovered the video in my archives and have used the content as the basis for my own tribute to Maynard Ferguson.
This edition of my video blog includes Maynard's thoughts on turning seventy, Jazz education, Clark Terry, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, Indian music and spirituality, as well as a rare clip from the mid-50s, trading stratospheric eights with Don Ellis.
The Jazz Video Guy Newsletter
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Nina Hagen & Leipzig Big Band - Let Me Entertain You
Live from the International Jazz Woche Burghausen, Nina Hagen & Leipzig BigBand, 2004
Let Me Entertain You, original Stephen Sondheim.
Nina Hagen....
Hagen's parents are Hans Hagen (also known as Hans Oliva), a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer. Her paternal Jewish grandparents died in Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Her parents divorced when she was two years old, and growing up she saw her father infrequently. At age four, she began to study ballet, and was considered an opera prodigy by the time she was nine.
When Hagen was 11, her mother married Wolf Biermann, an anti-establishment singer-songwriter. Biermann's political views influenced young Hagen: she was "dishonorably discharged" from the Free German Youth group at age 12, and became active in political protests against the East German government.
Hagen left school at age 16, and joined the cover band Fritzens Dampferband (Fritz's Steamboat Band, together with Achim Mentzel and others). She added songs by Janis Joplin and Tina Turner to the "allowable" set lists during shows.
From 1972–3, Hagen enrolled in the crash-course performance program at The Central Studio for Light Music in East Berlin. Upon graduation, formed the band Automobil.
from wikipedia.
Nnenna Freelon....
"Be sure to check out Nnenna Freelon... very hip music"
Aretha Franklin
"Freelon's voice is sumptuous as sculpted honey.... from a woman who fills every second with grace."
Ken Micaellef, Amazon.com
"...there is no doubt that Freelon has now positioned herself in the very top echelon..."
Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
"Freelon had no problem charming the audience with a bright, rhythmically infectious performance."
Mike Joyce, The Washington Post
"Freelon makes each song such a personal statement that they all seem fresh and new..."
Steve Jones, USA Today
"Nnenna Freelon possesses that rarest of qualities... she makes (standards) sound freshly minted, refreshingly new... her phrasing is original, surprising... she mines the (melodies) for new and hidden meaning... and imaginative spirit that reaches out and bubbles over..."
Robert L. Daniels, Variety
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Laurent Filipe....
Trumpeter, composer, producer.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil in 1962.
Began playing and recording professionally at age fifteen in Lisbon, Portugal. Went to the USA at age eighteen to study music.
Graduated in Music Theory and Composition from the University of Kansas (U.S.A.) in 1985 and received a post-graduate diploma in Film-scoring from Berklee College of Music in Boston (U.S.A.) in 1987. Currently undergoing a doctorate degree in Human Sciences
Studied trumpet under professors Dr. Roger Stoner, Greg Hopkins and attended seminars with Wynton Marsalis.
Performed as a leader of his own group and as a sideman in different clubs and festivals in the U.S, Europe, Asia and Africa.
Played and recorded sessions with musicians such as: Jimmy Mosher, Aldo Romano, Tete Montoliu, Maceo Parker and the legendary drummer Walter Perkins. Appears as guest soloist with singers Mariza and Rui Veloso.
Received the “Art Farmer Performance Award” (U.S.A. 1984), as well as “Best Soloist 1990” award at the International Jazz Festival of Guetxo (Spain), where his group was also awarded the “Best Group Award”. He was also awarded the “Best Jazz Musician of the Year 1996, Award” from the National Portuguese Radio (RDP).
Was an active collaborator, both as composer and instrumentalist in the “Cultural Olympiad of Barcelona ‘92”,“Madrid Cultural Capital”, “Lisbon Cultural Capital ‘94”, “World Expo’ 98” and “Porto 2001 Cultural Capital”.
Is the author of an extensive repertoire in the fields of traditional and contemporary music, for which he has been commissioned to write for groups such as “The Opus Ensemble”, “Remix Ensemble” and “Seixal Chamber Group”, as well as Jazz and Afro-Cuban music.
Has also written the soundtrack to the feature film “Porto Santo”, the multi-media show he created for Expo ‘98 “Quadrophenia of Time”, the operetta “Sebastian the king-child”, the large scale production “Augaciar; a trip to the end of our Millennium” and the musical “Women in Power”.
Currently residing in Lisbon, Portugal, Laurent works with the following groups of which he is the author: “Duo Iberia” (with Spanish pianist Pedro Sarmiento), “Tribute to Chet Baker”, “ The Song Band”, “Mingus and More Sextet”, ”Flick Music” (film soundtracks) and the “Swing City Orchestra”, dedicated to the swing music of the 30’s and 40’s.
Laurent maintains a regular activity as composer, producer, lecturer, arranger and instrumentalist in Portugal and abroad.
http://www.laurentfilipe.com/
Oscar Peterson Interview with André Previn - 2
great Oscar Peterson Interview with Andre Previn where they discuss many things including art tatum. Also Oscar plays some tracks
Oscar Peterson and André Previn....
A great Oscar Peterson Interview with Andre Previn where they discuss many things including art tatum. Also Oscar plays some tracks
Retirement at Age 80? André Previn Still Hard at Work....
SOURCE: All About Jazz Publicity
Andr Previn has had a particularly wide-ranging career, as conductor, pianist, composer, arranger and jazz performer. In honor of his 80th birthday on Monday, Carnegie Hall is presenting three events that showcase him in his various musical guises.
On Tuesday Mr. Previn, who has held major artistic posts with ensembles like the London Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Pittsburgh Symphony, conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in Mozarts Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, leading from the piano, and Strausss Symphonia Domestica.
The concert began on a lackluster note with a soporific performance of the Mozart concerto, performed with a reduced ensemble. After a promising start, with vigorous orchestral playing, it soon descended into lethargy, with treacly textures and without any sense of drama or overall cohesion. Mr. Previn, playing his own cadenzas, performed with a singing tone but seemed to be struggling technically and often failed to project above the orchestra.
The richly hued performance of the Strauss after intermission was far more successful. The Philadelphia Orchestra, like many other arts groups, has been affected by the recession. It canceled a European tour and cut its administrative staff, and it currently lacks both an executive director and a music director.
To judge by this concert the turmoil has not affected the orchestras exemplary standards. The strings played with their trademark gorgeous sound in the Symphonia Domestica, in which Strauss evokes his home life by depicting chiming clocks, childrens games and a parental quarrel. (Strausss marriage was reportedly shaky when he wrote the work, which he dedicated to his wife and son.)
Mr. Previn elicited a fine performance from the Philadelphians, with immaculate woodwind playing. Their lively interpretation, aptly illuminating the details of the vast score, was rewarded with an enthusiastic audience response.
Andr Previns birthday series at Carnegie Hall is on April 22, will perform the premiere of his Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello and other works with the violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and the cellist Lynn Harrell.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=33631
16th-18th April: Ronnie Scott’s 50th Presents … 50 years of Motown with Natalie Williams & the Soul Family
As a tribute to some of the great artists that have recorded on Motown Records and paying homage to the 50th anniversary of the label this year, Natalie Williams and her Soul Family Band will be playing a selection of some of the best songs to come out of the Motown era, featuring the music of Smoky Robinson, Martha and The Vandellas, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, The Jackson 5 and of course Stevie Wonder. Joining her on stage will be 3 other fantastic vocalists, Vula, Sharlene Hector and Brendan Reilly, who regularly bring the house down at the monthly Soul Family Sunday sessions.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
13th-15th April: Rosario Giuliani Quartet plus China Moses (13/14) and Gwyneth Herbest (15)
On Ronnie Scott's, Italian alto saxophonist Rosario playes with his quartet largely in the hard-swinging post-Coltrane tradition. Appearing on the same bill will be China Moses in a London debut for the US singer who happens to be jazz vocal great Dee Dee Bridgewater’s daughter
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Trent Ryan Austin
A CD with 10 tributes to some of his major jazz influences on Trumpet (from Louis Armstrong to Woody Shaw).
Mr. Austin has led a varied career in music to date performing in many musical circles (jazz, classical, and contemporary music). In high school he was selected to play at the opening of Euro-Disney as well as a featured performer at the 1992 Montreux Jazz festival in Switzerland. He was selected as the 1st trumpet of the Maine All-State festival all four years in High School. He was awarded a full music scholarship to attend the University of New Hampshire to study classical trumpet.
Other individual awards include being selected in the 1993 Berklee Grammy High School Jazz Band, lead trumpet of the 1995 Disney All American Show Band, a featured soloist at the 1996 Harmony Ridge Brass Festival and at the 1997 Lake Placid Institute of the Arts Seminar.
Mr. Austin has performed with such artists as Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Joe Williams, Wynton Marsalis, Clark Terry, Jack Jones, Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, Peter Erskine, Arturo Sandoval, Hal Galper, Dick Oatts, Marvin Stamm, Red Holloway, Jesse Davis, Kenny Werner, and Bob Wilber. Currently Mr. Austin plays lead trumpet with the Artie Shaw Orchestra and is highly in demand in the Boston area as a jazz soloist.
http://cdbaby.com/cd/trentaustin
Trent Austin - Cafe 1930
The first piece of the second half of my faculty recital (check out the crazy program below)... I started with adapting a flute arrangement and then added a "jam" with my rhythm section.
Trent Austin: Trumpet
Rebecca Wilt: Piano
Gary Wittner: Guitar
Oliver Watkinson: Bass
Les Harris, Jr.: Drums
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