Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Paula Lima....
by Patricia Palumbo.
Oh boy, here she comes! Comes with a samba environment, "benjoriano", a monument to the beauty of Brazil. The band holds the groove and it enters "chic", pure style, sweeping the audience already face, leading the mass. Paula Lima ... Brazilian woman, beautiful, lush. She has star quality, belongs to the stage and the stage, without doubt, is your place.
SambaChic is his first record in DVD, after 3 solo albums, after a presence in São Paulo Funk Como Le Gusta and participate in various projects of hip hop, funk, soul and more paint in good Brazilian music and Brazilian black. The SambaChic de Paula Lima is different, urban and contemporary. The show was recorded at the Boiler House in São Paulo (SP) in August 2008. At the very beginning of the festival can already see the animation of the public: clapping in rhythm and bodies in balance.
From the top of the stage and over the jump, Paula samba "the niggling" Arlindo Cruz the first night. The ball SambaChic switch genders, but always with the groove eating loose, rippling. It ballad, a funk accent, has charm, has balance, and samba. You samba "in the slipper" Mike's Boca da Vai Vai, calling the audience to dance: a beast that divides stages and studios with Paula Lima for at least 7 years. Intimacy in the face tá, tá no sound, the joy.
John Wilson Silhouettes Last Member Dies
They called “Get a Job" the national anthem of doo-wop. It spearheaded a whole subgenre of doo-wop, where the bass singer was the star, said Elaine Lewis, the widow of original member Richard Lewis, who wrote the song.
“Its an end of an era. The Silhouettes were one of the greatest vocal groups of all time", said Horner, who interviewed Wilson in April. Even though Wilson wasn't on the initial recording of “Get a Job", he added, “he was a big part of Silhouettes history. It's sad to realize The Silhouettes are gone now."
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=43459
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem
New York, NY 10035
212 348-8300
http://www.jmih.org/
National Jazz Museum in Harlem October Schedule:
· Harlem Speaks: Sandra Reaves-Phillips and Percy Brice
· Jazz for Curious Listeners: Lesser Known Jazz Siblings – Blanche Calloway, Linton Garner, Gus Wilson, Joe Eldridge, Lee Young and Nat Adderley
· Jazz for Curious Readers: Jazz Journalist Greg Thomas
· Harlem in the Himalayas: Al Foster Trio
· Saturday Panel: A Song Called Talk – Jazz Roots of Hip Hop
· Special Event: Benny Carter Memorial Concert
· Special Event: Jazz Tech Talk - Herbie Hanc
Irene Atman - What are you doing the rest of your life
From her debut CD, Irene Atman sings "What are you doing the rest of your life", Music by Michel Legrand and lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman
Irene Atman....
It’s been quite a year for Canadian recording artist Irene Atman who recently relocated to New York City from her hometown of Toronto to record her latest CD titled “New York Rendezvous”. Irene follows her highly acclaimed self-titled debut of 2007 with this latest release, backed by the finest jazz musicians on the New York scene today - Frank Kimbrough on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, Matt Wilson on drums and Joel Frahm on saxophone.
The disc’s title “New York Rendezvous” is just that – the reunion of Irene Atman and Frank Kimbrough after a couple of dozen years along different musical roads. Now together in New York , with Frank acting as musical director and co-producer of the CD, Irene Atman is being hailed as “one of the finest singers around, gifted with a voice that allows her to reach high notes with ease, revealing a cool and enticing style that tenderizes the lyrics with a touch of class”. (All about Jazz)
In a recent interview with Jazz Review, Susan Frances says, “Atman has a voice that was divined to sing jazz just as assuredly as was Tony Bennett, Shirley Bassey, Vicki Carr, or any other vocalist born with the timeless elegance that Atman possesses. She enables audiences to feel the lyrics and become a part of the stories being told in the songs.”
Born in Toronto , Irene is also an accomplished pianist. Her love for classic jazz started early. “I always say, that my greatest inspiration came from my father’s fruit cellar,” she said. As a child, she brought up a box of old records from the basement and asked her father to play them for her. “Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Doris Day. All of the greats”, she recalled. “I just loved them”.
At 19, while studying history at the University of Toronto , Atman credits that time as the official start of her professional career. During those years in Toronto , Irene sang with the Stan Hiltz Orchestra, recorded with the Boss Brass, and performed with the legendary Tony Bennett. She has also performed with jazz luminaries Guido Basso, Dave Young, Terry Clarke and Peter Appleyard. Last year, Irene toured Australia and Japan where she performed at the Canadian embassy in Tokyo with Makoto Ozone and Holly Cole for a Tribute to Oscar Peterson.
Upcoming performances in ’09 will see Irene performing at New York’s legendary supper club Feinstein’s at Loews Regency on October 25th, where she will be joined by jazz greats Frank Kimbrough on piano, Jay Anderson on bass and Joel Frahm on saxophone.
At Feinstein's....
"Irene Atman is clearly one of the finest singers around" - (All About Jazz)
"Atman is a step above the others and should be heard" - (Jazz Improv)
"She sings with a vocal dexterity equivalent to a flute that can speak words" - (All about Jazz)
"Irene Atman is a true talent" - (Jazz Society of Oregon)
Hank O’Neal....
Twenty years later, in 1973, O’Neal had a better camera, his first book, The Eddie Condon Scrapbook of Jazz, was published, and he had his first modest photography show, Winona, Texas, at The Open Mind Gallery, in New York City. Just the year before, in 1972, O’Neal met Berenice Abbott and began a working relationship with her that lasted nineteen years. It was Abbott who convinced him of the merits of a large format view camera, suggesting that if he’d buy one, she’d teach him how to work it. He did and she did, in an abbreviated thirty-minute session.
Abbott advised O’Neal, “Don’t take photographs willy-nilly, you have to have a project.” About the same time, Bert Stern suggested there was equal merit in medium format cameras and gave O’Neal a spare Rolleiflex to prove the point. Now, equipped with a Leica, Nikon, Rolleiflex, and Deardorff, O’Neal paid attention to the wisdom of Abbott and others, and for the next three decades accumulated a large body of work.
Many of O’Neal’s photographs are often work-related, portraits for LP jackets and CD booklets, documenting recording sessions, illustrating books or producing booklets for his music festivals. Since 1971, he has produced over 200 LPs or CDs for his companies, Chiaroscuro Records and Hammond Music Enterprises. Since 1983, he and his partner, Shelley Shier have produced over one hundred music festivals, through their New York City-based production company, HOSS, Inc.
O’Neal has also published a number of books and monographs, including the now classic work on the Farm Security Administration, A Vision Shared – A Portrait of America and Its People 1935 – 1943 and the landmark study of his friend, Berenice Abbott – American Photographer. His own photographs appeared in a variety of books and publications, most recently in 1997 in the award-winning book, The Ghosts of Harlem and Hank O’Neal Portraits 1971 – 2000. In 2009 Vanderbilt University Press published an English Language edition of The Ghosts Of Harlem and in 2008 Steidl issued Berenice Abbott, the ultimate statement regarding the work of this noted American photographer.
Cab Calloway In addition to the musical and photographic interests, O’Neal’s other activities are as varied as the subject matter of his photographs. He received a BA from Syracuse University in 1962, and was well on his way to an MA, when, in 1963, he was snared by the Central Intelligence Agency, with whom he was associated until 1976. While he was with this organization, he also served on active duty in the US Army, rising to the rank of Captain.
O’Neal came to New York City from Washington, D.C. in 1967 and still resides in Greenwich Village. He joined the faculty of The New School University in 1970 and remains affiliated with the school as as a member of the Board of Advisors of the Jazz and Contemporary Music Program. During the 1970s, he was associated with the modern dance company, Choreographer’s Theater, for whom he not only created sound and visual collages, but also, on occasion, danced. In the same decade, he built and operated two recording studios in Greenwich Village. During the years 1983 through 1995, he was an advisor to the Justice Department and is currently on the Board of Directors of various arts organizations, galleries and corporations, most prominently the Jazz Foundation of America/Jazz Musician’s Emergency Fund, The Jazz Gallery and the National Jazz Museum In Harlem.
For more information about the artist, visit: http://www.hankonealphoto.com/
Student Music Guide....
We’ve also included several helpful articles where educators and professional musicians offer their input on important subjects like finding the right jazz studies program, practical advice for freshmen, opportunities in engineering and pursuing advanced degrees. Plus, Wynton Marsalis shares valuable insight on better ways to teach jazz in the classroom.
Players
Dado Moroni
Eddie C. Campbell
Dave Frank
Stacy Dillard
More on: DownBeat Magazine
The Chicago Jazz Ensemble
Celebrated by critics and audiences alike as one of the nation's foremost jazz bands, the CJE's 21-member professional ensemble comprises an elite group of Chicago jazz musicians, ranging from established stars with national reputations and acclaimed Columbia College Chicago faculty, to the city's brightest young talents. Collectively, the members have performed and collaborated with nearly every major talent in the jazz world of the last 30 years.
The Chicago Jazz Ensemble's American Heritage Jazz Series, presented annually in various Chicago venues has established a reputation for excellence in the Chicagoland area. The series has featured a diverse range of guest artists over the last eight years including Lennie Niehaus, Lonnie Brooks, Bill Dobbins, Joe Lovano, Johnny Frigo, Franz Jackson, Corky Siegel, Orbert Davis, Slide Hampton, Johnny Griffin, Ira Sullivan, Von Freeman, Eric Alexander, Gerald Wilson, Claudia Acuna, Cedar Walton, Dr. Billy Taylor and Dave Valentin-providing local audiences with the opportunity to experience live performances by the leading jazz artists of our time.
Artistic Director Jon Faddis has a 30-year history of performing and collaborating with the world's foremost jazz artists and big bands. He performed with the Lionel Hampton Big Band and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and served as music director for Dizzy Gillespie's Grammy™-award winning United Nation Orchestra, for Dizzy Gillespie's 70th Birthday Big Band, and, after his mentor's passing, Faddis led the Dizzy Gillespie All-Stars Big Band. Renowned for his leadership of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, Faddis conducted more than 40 concerts in 10 years at Carnegie Hall, featuring over 135 musicians and 70 guest artists. Faddis also leads his own stellar quartet, which will release a CD, Teranga, on Koch Records this spring. In addition to his performance work, Jon Faddis is an award-winning educator with an enduring commitment to the accessible and quality education of young musicians.
Chairman
Bruce R. Bachmann
Chairmen Emeritus
Ralph W. Gidwitz
Robert A. Pritzker
Governors
William Brichta
Barbara M. Flom
Thomas Harris
Barry D. Kaufman
James F. Kinoshita
Franklin Nitikman
Michael Perlow
Don Rose
Steven J. Rosenberg
Judith Stein
Bobbi Wilsyn
David Wolff
The Honorable James Zagel
Honorary Governors
Cliff Colnot
Hamsey Lewis
more on: DownBeat Magazine
Ed Palermo Big Band Obsessed With Zappa
By Michael Bourne
Both Ed Palermo and I have almost obsessively loved the music of Frank Zappa. Actually, there’s nothing “almost”about Palermo’s feelings for all that Frank created. He has recorded three albums of big band Zappa: The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa in 1997, Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance in 2006 and the new Eddy Loves Frank. When the albums have come out, he’s come on WBGO with me for a radio interview—although mostly we reminisce about our favorite Zappa songs and stories.
Palermo’s Zappa gigs usually happen at Manhattan’s Iridium only once in a while (like an upcoming performance on Oct. 21). Just as the new album was released this spring (on Cuneiform via palermobigband.com), the show at Iridium reminded me of a Mothers concert. Not in the sound of his band. It’s a swinging New York jazz orchestra with hip sectional interplay and spotlighted solos. More in what I’d call the Zappa consciousness of Palermo’s arrangements.
Palermo does much more musically than Zappa-nomics. He’s been fronting a big band 30 years, and now in the works is an album of his big band tribute to the blues of Paul Butterfield and Michael Bloomfield. He’s worked as an alto saxist or arranger for a who’s who of jazz and pop. He’s teaching nowadays at the Hoff/Barthelson Music School in Scarsdale, N.Y.
But none of his other work we ever talk about. All that we ever talk about is why Eddy loves Frank.
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=magazine
Joshua Redman - Montreal Trifecta
Montreal was the first jazz festival Joshua Redman played. In fact, the 1991 edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (FIJM) was one of the pedigreed saxophonist’s very first professional gigs.
“I had just graduated college, and I played here with my father,” remembered Redman, a fairly regular visitor to FIJM who returned this summer to perform a three-part Invitation Series of concerts featuring three different ensembles. “This year is the first time I can remember having been here for more than one night. It’s a class act, and the audiences can be really fantastic here—hip and respectful, but not too cool.”
Redman could hardly find a more receptive environment than Montreal in which to conduct his most recent explorations—the boldest of which is a double trio, as featured on his latest CD, Compass (Nonesuch). He regarded his extended stay here as a luxury, a chance to connect onstage with some of his favorite musicians and best friends, and maybe even catch a concert or two. But Redman also acknowledged the thrill and challenge of performing with a different group of musicians every night.
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=magazine
New Release From Legendary Jazz Bassist Scott LaFaro
Pieces of Jade features material previously unavailable to American audiences. Among the highlights is a rare glimpse inside the creative process with LaFaro in an extended practice session with Bill Evans, both of them working through a standard they practically owned, "My Foolish Heart." Also included are five selections recorded in New York City during 1961 that showcase LaFaro with pianist Don Friedman and drummer Pete LaRoca.
Don Friedman, piano (1-5,8)
Scott LaFaro, bass (1-5)
Pete LaRoca, drums (1-5)
Recorded in New York City 1961 (1-5)
Recorded by George Klabin 1985 (8)For more information, click here: http://www.resonancerecords.org/
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=magazine
Frank Vignola’s Hot Club
WITH FRANK VIGNOLA’S HOT CLUB
Saturday, October 3, 2009 - 8:00 p.m.
At The Pavilion at the Lycian Center, Kings Highway, Sugar Loaf, NY
featuring:
Frank Vignola-guitar
Vinny Raniolo-guitar
Gary Mazzaroppi-bass
Julien Labro--french accordionist
Zack Brock-violin
Peter Holmgren--special guest mandolinist
No Tiptoeing Through the Tulips
“Relief is one of the major emotions of our audience,” declared Dave Suich, an orchestra member.
But the happy surprise of encountering something completely different from the Tiny Tim-style hamming or banjo-plucking embarrassment of your imagination doesn’t wholly explain the deep love the orchestra inspires, not just in Britain, but also in Europe and as far away as New Zealand and Japan. Previously the private passion of a large but sub rosa group of devotees, the orchestra hit mainstream popularity last month when it performed to a sold-out crowd at the BBC Proms music festival at the Royal Albert Hall here.
“They have grown into a much-loved institution,” The Observer of London wrote. In The Financial Times Laura Battle praised the orchestra members’ “consummate skill” and said that the “sophisticated sound they make — both percussive and melodic — is at once hilarious and heartfelt.” The Evening Standard said, “The country would plainly be a happier place if more of us played the ukulele.”
Part of the appeal is that the group — eight of them, all singing and playing the ukulele — extracts more than seems humanly possible from so small and so modest an instrument, with its four little strings. Part of it is the members’ deadpan sense of humor, in which they laugh at themselves as much as at the music.
There is also the unexpected delight of their repertory, a genre-bending array stretching from “The Ride of the Valkyries” to the Sex Pistols’ “Anarchy in the U.K,” which they perform as a friendly folk song, infusing even lines like “I am an Antichrist” with a cozy bonhomie. They do a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” which affords Mr. Suich an opportunity to release his long ponytail and fling his hair around, à la Cobain.
Ukuleles are mildly humorous and kind of cute, particularly when deployed by adults dressed in black tie. “The minute that eight people walk onstage with ukes, you’re winning already,” said Will Grove-White, an orchestra member. Six of the group — Peter Brooke Turner, Kitty Lux, George Hinchliffe and Hester Goodman, in addition to Mssrs. Grove-White and Suich — met recently to discuss its philosophy and raison d’être. (Missing were Richie Williams, who was not feeling well, and Jonty Bankes, who was out of the country.)
They have been together, more or less, since 1985, and they spoke in a jumble, finishing one another’s sentences and undercutting one another’s remarks like the old friends they are. “Don’t listen to him, he’s wearing brown shoes,” warned Mr. Brooke Turner, as Mr. Hinchliffe tried to make a serious, nonukulele-related point about the National Health Service. “In England that is a sign of untrustworthiness.”
They all generate ideas for new pieces and play around with novel ways of making them work. The idea is often to do things “that are not exactly normal,” Mr. Hinchliffe said, to get the ukuleles to produce noises that are nothing like ukulele noises at all. “It’s good having this somewhat poxy instrument that can’t do much because there aren’t limitless options, and it forces you to think imaginatively about how to create sounds and rhythms,” Mr. Grove-White said.
They use their voices: whistling in a certain way, for instance, can approximate the sound of a wind instrument in a piece like the theme song from “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” Striking a ukulele to dampen the strings, and then moving the nonplucking hand up and down lightly can mimic the “wah-wah” sound of an electric guitar pedal in the theme song from “Shaft.” To poke fun of songs full of flamboyantly long notes, the orchestra plays rapid successions of short plucks with their strings.
“With heavy-metal riffs, when you pluck them out on the ukulele, they sound really weedy,” Mr. Grove-White said. “It’s a good way to mock pomposity.”
They do that often, and cheerfully. “One of the things that we feel about pop music is that while we’re very fond of it, very affectionate toward it, at the same time we recognize the ludicrousness and pretentiousness of it,” Mr. Hinchliffe said. “A lot of songs really are extremely ludicrous. In a way, it’s kind of interesting to observe that you can love something and find it risible at the same time.”
The band had its roots in Mr. Hinchliffe’s childhood in “the People’s Republic of South Yorkshire,” as he calls it, when his father brought home a ukulele-banjo, a cousin of the ukulele. “After a while I said to my father, ‘Could we get some strings for it?’ ” he recalled.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/arts/music/30ukulele.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
Buddy Rich....
Arguably the greatest jazz drummer of all time, the legendary Buddy Rich exhibited his love for music through the dedication of his life to the art. His was a career that spanned seven decades, beginning when Rich was 18 months old and continuing until his death in 1987. Immensely gifted, Rich could play with remarkable speed and dexterity despite the fact that he never received a formal lesson and refused to practice outside of his performances.
Born Bernard Rich to vaudevillians Robert and Bess Rich on September 30, 1917, the famed drummer was introduced to audiences at a very young age. By 1921, he was a seasoned solo performer with his vaudeville act, “Traps the Drum Wonder.” With his natural sense of rhythm, Rich performed regularly on Broadway at the age of four. At the peak of Rich's early career, he was the second-highest paid child entertainer in the world.
Rich's jazz career began in 1937 when he began playing with Joe Marsala at New York's Hickory House. By 1939, he had joined Tommy Dorsey's band, and he later went on to play with such jazz greats as Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Ventura, Louis Armstrong and Gene Krupa. Rich was regularly featured in Jazz at the Philharmonic during the late 1940s. He also appeared in such Hollywood films as Symphony of Swing (1939), Ship Ahoy (1942) and How's About It (1943).
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Rich toured with his own bands and opened two nightclubs, Buddy's Place and Buddy's Place II. Both clubs were regularly filled to capacity by fans of the great master drummer. After opening Buddy's Place II, Rich introduced new tunes with elements of rock into his repertoire, demonstrating his ability to adapt to his audience's changing tastes and establishing himself as a great rock drummer.
Known for his caustic humor, Rich was a favorite on several television talk shows including the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, the Mike Douglas Show, the Dick Cavett Show and the Merv Griffin Show. During these appearances, audiences were entertained by Rich's constant sparring with the hosts and his slights of various pop singers.
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This famed musician received outstanding recognition throughout his career. The Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame Award, the Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame Award and the Jazz Unlimited Immortals of Jazz Award are just a few of his numerous honors. Rich gained international attention for such master compositions as his 10-minute West Side Story medley. During his lengthy career, Rich toured around the globe, performing for millions of fans and several world leaders including the King of Thailand, King Hussein of Jordan the Queen of England, and U.S. presidents Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan. (Photo: David Redfem)
On April 2, 1987, Rich died of heart failure following surgery for a malignant brain tumor. Longtime friend, Frank Sinatra, spoke a touching eulogy at Rich's funeral. Today, Buddy Rich is remembered as one of history's greatest musicians. According to jazz legend Gene Krupa, Rich was “The greatest drummer ever to have drawn breath.”
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Downbeat Magazine Hall of Fame Award
Downbeat Magazine Readers Poll winner (numerous times)
Three Grammy nominations
Modern Drummer Magazine Hall of Fame Award
Modern Drummer Magazine Readers Poll winner (numerous times)/li>
Command performance for the King of Thailand
Command performance for the Queen of England
Inaugural performance for Franklin Roosevelt
Performance for President Reagan and King Hussein of Jordan
Performance for President John F. Kennedy
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Neogenesis Award
American Cancer Society Award
Jazz Unlimited Immortals of Jazz Award
Playboy Hall of Fame Award
Playboy Readers Poll Award (numerous times)
Grammy Presidents Merit Award
Honorary Doctor of Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston
Featured soloist with Boston Pops, Milwaukee Symphony, London Philharmonic and more.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=30160
At Zinc Bar....
APPEARING AT ZINC BAR 82 WEST THIRD STREET ( BETWEEN SULLIVAN & THOMPSON STREETS ) GREENWICH VILLAGE, NYC - 212-477-9462 ZINCBAR.COM
ANAT COHEN - SAXES & CLARINET
GUILHERME MONTEIRO - GUITARS
HELIO ALVES - PIANO
LEONARDO CIOGLIA - BASS
DUDUKA DA FONSECA - DRUMS
"DUDUKA IS A FANTASTIC DRUMMER, HE HAS WORKED WITH ME AND I LOVE THE WAY HE PLAYS" - ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM , RIO DE JANEIRO , SPRING 94
"DUDUKA DA FONSECA HAS DONE FOR THE BRAZILIAN JAZZ DRUMMING, WHAT KENNY CLARKE HAS DONE FOR THE JAZZ DRUMMING IN AMERICA" - DOM SALVADOR (BRAZILIAN PIANO LEGEND)
"SUPERB WHEN IT COMES TO SHIFTING GEARS AND COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES, THE DRUMMER HAS LONG BEEN THE GO-TO PERCUSSIONIST FOR THOSE NYC IMPROVISERS ROMPING THROUGH BRAZILIAN MODES. HIS NEW SAMBA JAZZ IN BLACK AND WHITE GETS JIGGY ON PURPOSE, ESSAYING HORTA, PASCOAL AND JOBIM WITH GLEE AND APLOMB" - JIM MACNIE, VILLAGE VOICE
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Ramsey Lewis Releases New CD - Songs from the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey
The new release from iconic pianist and bandleader Ramsey Lewis, Songs from the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey, hits stores this week (CD & digital) via Concord Jazz Records.
Eight songs come from the score of 2007's ballet “To Know Her" written for the Joffrey Ballet Company and four pieces come from 2008's “Muses and Amusements" suite performed with the Turtle Island Quartet.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=43388
Don Ayler
Born: October 5, 1942 in Cleveland, Ohio
Died: October 21, 2007 in Northfield, Ohio
Without a doubt, Donald Ayler is one of the great jazz trumpet stylists, but will remain forever in the shadow of his brother: tenor saxophonist, visionary, and sometimes bagpiper Albert Ayler. Much of that relationship is positive, no matter how it might have affected the trumpeter's career, a fanciful realm of data to focus on in the face of such mystical music.
While not every fan of Albert Ayler is a fanatic fan of Donald Ayler, there is no such creature as the Donald Ayler fan who doesn't love Albert Ayler. That fantastic brass style, a kind of LSD-soaked New Orleans ozone, was in itself a creation of the Albert Ayler vision of music. Pundits can argue who created who, but in monster terms the relationship between brothers was similar to Dr. Frankenstein and Ygor.
The period between 1965-1968 was his golden period of performing in his brother's groups on stages in New York City and throughout Europe. In 1966, Donald Ayler was part of a group assembled by John Coltrane to perform at Lincoln Center in New York City. But by the late '60s, he was back at "the mistake by the lake"; in the early '70s he was known to play only now and then, and by the end of that decade was subject to rumors about having been committed.
There was life after Albert Ayler for this artist, however, who without a doubt must have been horrified by his brother's death in 1970. In 1979, an interview with Donald Ayler appeared in the superb. Cadence magazine. By 1981, some interest seemed to have been stirred up, and he performed with a septet in Italy. A three-record set entitled In Florence was recorded and reportedly released by the Frame label; pasta is thankfully much easier to find than copies of this set, and record collectors are encouraged to stuff themselves as the hunt goes on. His playing, as documented on the easily available Albert Ayler recordings, has lost none of its thrill over the years.
The trumpeter's improvising, although past the edges of frantic in typical terms for the genre, is a sound extending back to early brass bands and, of course, including trumpeters such as Don Cherry, Wadada Leo Smith, and Bobby Bradford. The singular nature of the Ayler sound — this applies to either brother — is simply the fact that there just is no other music like it, meaning the playing of the trumpeter always exists in that particular context. This leads to the interest many Ayler fans have had in what the trumpeter might have done on his own, perhaps in other contexts, if he had the opportunity or the interest in later years.
By Eugene Chadbourne
All Music Group
History of the Hammond B-3 Organ
Because of my interest in analog synthesizer technology, and the fact that I am an jazz organ player, specifically, a Hammond organ player, I thought it would be fitting to do a report explaining the technology used in the original Hammond organs (quite possibly the world’s first synthesizers), and explain how their immense popularity in the 50’s and 60’s helped shape the technology of the earliest synthesizers, and the needs of early keyboard players in general.
The Hammond B-3
There were many varieties of the Hammond organ, some designed for home use, some designed for church use, and some designed for live gigs and studio recording. But the most popular variety, and the one still commonly in use today (if you can find one that isn’t too beat up) is the Hammond B-3. This organ has two 61 note keyboards, (manuals), sometimes called the swell (top) and the great (bottom), a variety of built-in special effects, (including "percussion" effects, several different chorus and vibrato effects, and adjustable attack and decay effects), 9 preset keys for both manuals, (the inversely white and black keys on the bottom octave of each manual), two sets of nine stops (drawbars) for each manual, a full two octave set of foot pedals with two pedal drawbars built in to the console, a volume pedal (expression pedal) built into the base, a solid walnut body with 4 legs and base, a built-in stool, and it weighed in at over 400 pounds.
Also, it needed to be run through a separate speaker called a Leslie (which I will explain later), which also came in many varieties and sizes, but which was usually around six feet tall and weighed almost as much as the organ. To get a B-3 to a gig, you would probably need a truck or a van to transport it, a dolly or three to four guys to carry it, and then a prayer that you didn’t have to carry it up too many flights of stairs.
Why, you must be wondering, would any sane musician want to take this piece of furniture with them out to a gig? If you have ever heard a good B-3, you would understand. A Hammond B-3 can all at once sound like a carnival, a big band, a horn section, a small jazz combo, a funk group, a percussion section, a flute, and/or countless other things. How does one instrument manage to do all this? The answer begins in the drawbars.
The Drawbars
You’ve heard the expression, "Pulling out all the stops?" The drawbars on the organ are these very stops. The organist can "voice" each stop as he plays. Meaning, any one of the nine drawbars that go into the makeup of an organ sound can be individually altered, either while playing, or permanently preset into one of the 9 preset keys. (The other three are for setting or clearing the presets.) Each drawbar has eight degrees to which it can be literally "drawn" or pulled, out of the console of the organ, the eighth being the loudest, and all the way in being silence.
The nine drawbars represent the nine most important harmonics, going in order of left to right, the sub-octave, the fifth, the unison or fundamental octave, the 8th, the 12th, the 15th, the 17th, the 19th, and the 22nd. All of these except the 17th are either roots or fifths. The 17th is a third. The colors on the drawbars themselves are also related to their harmonic pitch. The white and brown drawbars are called the consonants, all the roots and the lower fifths, and the black drawbars are called the dissonants, the higher fifths and the third. Using this basic harmonic series, almost any instrumental tone may be imitated or mimicked.
Also, the inventor of the Hammond organ, Laurens Hammond, who invented the B-3 around 1937-39, and who later unveiled it at the 1939 AES show here in New York City at the RCA building, used some of his father’s techniques, who happened to be a designer of pipe organs, in the development of his new organ. The drawbars are all labeled to represent pipe pitches, represented by length, ranging in order of largest to smallest, from left to right. These "lengths" are, 16', 8', 5 1/3', 4', 2 2/3', 2', 1 3/5', 1 1/3', and 1', being the smallest. By the way, the two drawbars for the pedals are called the Super-Octave and the Sub-Octave, and their respective "lengths" are 16' and 8'.
Just like the fundamentals for creating sound waves lies in harmonics, (much like what we have learned in this class,) such is the way with the drawbars and their harmonic series. For instance, in terms of sound waves and frequency, the 1st harmonic by itself creates a sine wave, or a flute/recorder-type sound. The odd harmonics create a square wave, or a clarinet-like sound. The odd harmonics "squared" create a triangle wave, or a string-like sound. And all harmonics together create a sawtooth wave, or an oboe-like sound. Drawbar settings use the same kind of premise; various levels and volumes of harmonics are used to create sounds.
There are literally millions of tone qualities and endless shades of dynamic level available on the Hammond organ. Figure 1, (see back pages), or drawbar setting (00 6200 000) is an example of a flute tone. Figure 2 (00 4345 554) is an example of a violin tone. Figure 3 (00 6876 540) is an example of a trumpet-like tone, and Figure 4 (54 5444 222) is an example of a diapason, or a typically organ-like tone quality. There are also the typical jazz settings (not included in the appendix,) such as 88 8000 000, the most common, used by jazz players 90% of the time, 88 8400 080, for a bit more of a whistle during solos, 80 0000 088, for a high-end chordal voice setting, or the full blown 88 8888 888, the largest sound possible on the organ, which is used usually for loud chord solos, or huge crescendos or climaxes. That particular setting truly defines the phrase "pulling out all the stops", and it means exactly what it says; the works. Of course, there are a multitude of other possibilities, and every player out there has his or her own particular setting, or 'sound'. But how exactly do the drawbars do what they do? The answer to that lies in the tone generator.
The Tone Generator
The tone generator, except for the Pedal Solo Unit, which controls the sound generated by the pedals, is composed of 91 tone wheels, located inside the console. Each tone wheel generates magnetically one of the pitches of the fundamentals (the first harmonic) or the overtones, (all harmonics above the fundamental) of the many "stops". By the way, musical pitches on the organ range from 32.692 Hz in the bass to 5919.85 Hz in the treble, a span of seven and a half octaves.
The frequencies of the Solo Unit for the pedals range from 16 to 3136 cycles per second. The expression pedal has a range over 48 decibels in power. (The B-3 is a loud instrument.) Anyhow, on the outer rim of each tone wheel, which are only about the size of silver dollars, are a series of "hills and valleys" which disturb the electromagnetic field in a near-by magnet and the circuitry with which it is connected. These wheels turn on their axles at a carefully controlled speed. The disturbances are in the nature of sine waves, and are timed as the musical pitches themselves.
These disturbances, which are really just fluctuations of electrons in tubes and wires, are extremely weak and have to be amplified millions of times before they are strong enough to move the cones in the external speakers, which, in turn, must move all of the tons of air in a room before the sound actually gets to you, the listener. The waves, while they are still in the electrical form, pass through an amazing set of filters, mixers, and other devices that process the final result, but to the player, it is so much more less complicated than all of that......
See the complete history on http://www.theatreorgans.com/grounds/docs/history.html
Cynthia Queenton - "Ne me regarde pas"
"Ne me regarde pas" extrait de l'album Ton Reve de Cynthia Queenton www.myspace.com/cynthiaqueenton
auteur/compositeur:C.Queenton/T.Mateo
realisation clip: Elodie Melo
direction artistique:Harmony Beal
Jazz Clube Argentina....
Delphine Oliver Septet
2, 9 and 16/10 Club Lounge, Reconquista 974, Capital / Hs 21.30 / Adelanta new album with jazz standards, songs by Joni Mitchell and compositions of Charles Mingus / Juan Cruz de Urquiza (trumpet), Ramiro Flores (sax), Juan Canosa (trombone), Patrick Carpossi, (guitar), Jerónimo Carmona (bass), Carto Brandan (drums), Delphine Oliver (voice) / www.myspace.com/delfinaoliver
Gepel
3 / 10 La Scala de San Telmo Pasaje Giuffra 371, Capital / 22 hs. / Leandro Homes (piano, composition and arrangements), Agustin Strizzi (percussion, composition and arrangements). Guests: Gabriel Garcia (bass), Luke De Carlo (bandoneon), Rafael Ferrero (alto sax), Eduardo Avena (percussion, guitars, voices and so on ...) / www.myspace.com/grupogepel
Sergio Poli Quartet
13/10 Sergio Poli Quartet will present the CD And there we are ... the day Tuesday, October 13 at 20:00 pm in Hall Auditorium Pasaje Dardo Rocha. Sergio Poli on violin, Pepe Angelillo, on piano, Luis Carcacha, on bass, and Daniel Viera, on drums. And there we are ... is the first album the foursome. Recorded in June 2009, was mixed and mastered by Luis Aceto, while the artwork is the work of Alejandra Arce from an original drawing by Hermenegildo Sabat. And there we are ... runs through jazz classics by authors such as Cole Porter, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker, among others, as well as compositions by Pepe Angelillo and Sergio Poli. In advance, in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_297V3JEk1s, can see the video be included on the CD.
Matt Tabor's Senior Recital: Isotope feat. Darrell Grant
This is a clip from my senior recital at Portland State University on 6.4.08. This is the last performance of the evening and features a duo with myself and amazing Portland pianist Darrell Grant, my private instructor for the last four years. Enjoy!
Darrell Grant....
I have been listening to a very interesting album: pianist Darrell Grant's Truth and Reconciliation. The theme of the album is the idea of civil rights, and it includes a lot of vocal readings from great civil rights speeches. I am going to have to do a post on jazz and the civil rights movement.
But just now let me say that Grant's playing and arrangements are quite compelling. I am not quite sure whether the sparkling, and frankly happy tone of his piano is well suited to the theme. But I don't care. This album is worth exploring. Here is the All Music Review:
Working with guitarists Bill Frisell and Adam Rogers, saxophonist Steve Wilson, vibist Joe Locke, drummer Brian Blade, and bassist John Patitucci, Grant balances trio, quartet, and quintet settings with a handful of vocal pieces (Grant sounds a bit like a slightly cautious Keb' Mo' when he sings, which is actually kind of endearing) into a loosely constructed suite that rose out of Grant's close study of the cultural and political struggles in South Africa.
Adding to the recurrent themes of hope and freedom that emerge here are several spoken word samples from the likes of Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, John Kennedy, and Franklin D. Roosevelt that are carefully woven into the sequence at key points.
Club de Jazz de Santiago 30 sep-3 octubre
Thursday 1 Octumbre 2009 at 22:00 Hrs. Santiago Downbeat.
Friday 2 October 22:00 Hrs. Emilio Garcia Quartet album launch Custom Made.
Saturday 3 October 19:00 Hrs. Valentin Trujillo and Rodrigo Gonzalez. Sesis to Dixie - Conchalí Big Band - hardbop Quintet.
Weekly Latin Jazz: Yosvany Terry and Dafnis Prieto
Some musicians cross paths repeatedly during the course of their career, resulting in a variety of artistic paths. Musicians often meet on the bandstand through pure circumstance. When they play in the same location over the course of several years, they undoubtedly spend time on gigs, building at least some camaraderie. Musicians that play in the same genre run into each other through a variety of situations. They might play in a festival, they might open a large concert for a major act, or they might share the same gig, giving them a relationship.
These types of casual crossings sometimes result in good music, but they rarely provide the long-term collaborations that fuel memorable performances. Other musicians simply find each other through shared interests and background, creating an artistic chemistry that cannot be broken. The come from the same set of influences, similar upbringings, or common cultural backgrounds.
They develop similar artistic visions that push each other into greater heights. They learn each other’s performance approaches, finding new ways to support and inspire their peer. They learn each other’s phrasings and anticipate upcoming improvisational ideas. Any sort of artistic bond helps build a stronger musical community, but the latter type of collaboration often drives musicians to do great things.
Saxophonist Yosvany Terry and drummer Dafnis Prieto are two artistic peers that share a good deal of common traits. Both musicians grew up in Cuba during the Fidel Castro era with a limited access to musical genres and styles; their love for jazz and American popular music was a hard earned passion. These two musicians both received extensive classical trainings at some of Cuba’s finest conservatories, exposing them to a wide range of compositional techniques and highly refined technical abilities.
At the same time, their hearts remained in jazz and they worked hard to learn the music on top of their regular studies. They both created unique identities on their instruments and found work with some of the island’s best jazz musicians. They came together in one of Cuba’s best jazz groups, Columna B, and applied their shared knowledge during some truly amazing performances. The two musicians found their way to United States shores at different times, but their impact was profound in similar ways.
During their time in the States, they’ve proven themselves as interesting performers, insightful composers, influential bandleaders, and rising stars of the Latin Jazz world. Although they’ve both built impressive careers as leaders, they often support each other as sidemen. Both musicians have built a collaboration that has helped them grow and turned them into fantastic leaders, sitting at the forefront of the future Latin Jazz world.
These two musicians had already shown a great deal of influence in the music world – upon each other and upon the greater Latin Jazz scene – the future only holds more potential.
http://www.chipboaz.com/blog/2009/09/29/weekly-latin-jazz-video-fix-yosvany-terry-and-dafnis-prieto/
Layla Angulo - Live at the Triple Door
Layla Angulo performs with Grammy Award winning Bass player, Oscar Stagnaro at her CD release show for Mientras...
At The Bitter End....
The Bitter End
147 Bleecker Street (between Thompson and LaGuardia)
New York City, NY 10012
"All the trimmings to be a superstar" Billboard.com
"The masters like Arsenio Rodriguez, Tito Puente, and Eddie Palmieri would be very proud and pleased with Layla" All Music Guide
"She brings a lively energy and serious musicality" Latin Jazz Corner, Focusing the spotlight
"Layla Angulo is a very talented saxophonist/composer" Latin Beat Magazine
"Sizzling hot live performance!" Descarga.com
http://www.laylaangulo.com/
Dee Alexander - A visit with jazz singer to....
The Chicago Tribune visits jazz vocalist Dee Alexander during a recent performance at the Velvet Lounge nightclub. Alexander was selected as one of the Tribune's Chicagoans of the Year.
Dee Alexander Quartet performing in France....
8 octobre
Carré Sévigné, Cesson-Sévigné (Ille-et-Vilaine)
9 octobre
Rhino Jazz Festival (Loire)
30 octobre
Espace Tival, Kingersheim (Haut-Rhin)
31 octobre
JazzOnze+ Festival, Lausanne (Suisse)
with
Miguel dela Cerna - piano
Harrison Bankhead - bass
Ernie Adams - drums
http://www.deealexander.net/
At Cornelia Street Cafe....
8:30PM PETE RENDE
(Pete Rende, piano; Bill McHenry, tenor sax; Matt Brewer, bass; Ted Poor, drums)
On the inaugural night of our new grand piano and stage, we proudly present Pete Rende in a rare appearance, leading his own group.
http://www.myspace.com/peterrende
Fri Oct 02
9:00PM & 10:30PM TONY MALABY QUARTET
(Tony Malaby, tenor saxophone; Ralph Alessi, trumpet; John Hebert, bass; Billy Drummund, drums)
Saxophonist Tony Malaby, is one of the most compelling living voices on his instrument who is able to musically expand in multiple musical directions. Whether it is in a modern harmonic linear approach or a sonic approach. His is not an eclectic style, but an authentic language in which he is able to create meaning and communicate feeling through the primal power of sound and rhythm. - Mark Dresser (July 2008)
Malaby is joined by some of his favorite NY improvisers.
http://www.tonymalaby.com/
Sat Oct 03
9:00PM & 10:30PM TONY MALABY QUARTET
(Tony Malaby, tenor saxophone; Ralph Alessi, trumpet; John Hebert, bass; Billy Drummund, drums)
Saxophonist Tony Malaby, is one of the most compelling living voices on his instrument who is able to musically expand in multiple musical directions. Whether it is in a modern harmonic linear approach or a sonic approach. His is not an eclectic style, but an authentic language in which he is able to create meaning and communicate feeling through the primal power of sound and rhythm. - Mark Dresser (July 2008)
Malaby is joined by some of his favorite NY improvisers.
http://www.tonymalaby.com/
Sun Oct 04
8:30PM LOU AND PETER BERRYMAN
(Lou, accordion, vocals, songwriter; Peter, 12 string guitar, vocals, lyrics)
Lou and Peter Berryman, authors of twelve recordings and three songbooks of original material, have performed together for more than twenty years. Their whimsical and wonderfully accessible performances of their hilarious, quirky, yet oddly profound songs leave audiences with cheeks aching from smiling.
http://louandpeter.com/
Mon Oct 05
8:30PM AMRAM & CO
(David Amram, piano, french horn, flutes, composition & surprises; Kevin Twigg, drums, glockenspiel; John de Witt, bass; Adam Amram, percussion; John Ventimiglia, actor)
This series explores in his highly personable, generous and informal style the astonishing variety of David Amram's interests and accomplishments--renowned composer of symphonic classical music, jazz compositions, improvisation, spoken word, scat, he sits at the piano, schmoozes about music, about the greats, the beats, the obscure, the legendary; plays the French horn, pulls out all kinds of instruments (flutes, drums, horns) gathered from his many circumnavigations of the globe, pulls in guests drawn from just about every artistic walk of life.
http://www.davidamram.com/
At Iridium Jazz Club....
MON., OCT. 5
JOSE FELICIANO WITH THE LES PAUL TRIO 8 & 10PM
LOU PALLO – GUITAR,
NICKI PARROTT – BASS,
JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO
10/6 TERESE GENECCO & HER LITTLE BIG BAND
10/10 MATTHEW BRYAN FELD (MIDNIGHT)
OCT. 7-11
KENNY GARRETT BAND
MON., OCT. 12
THE LES PAUL TRIO WITH SPECIAL GUEST TBA 8 & 10PM
LOU PALLO – GUITAR,
NICKI PARROTT – BASS,
JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO
10/13 MISHA PIATIGORSKY OCTET
WED., OCT. 14
CAROL FREDETTE 8:30 & 10:30 PM
CAROL FREDETTE - VOCALS,
MIKE RICCHIUTI - PIANO,
DAVID FINCK - BASS,
ADAM NUSSBAUM - DRUMS
OCT. 15-18
CHARLES TOLLIVER BIG BAND
CHARLES TOLLIVER - TRUMPET
BILLY HARPER AND BILL SAXTON - TENOR SAX
BRUCE WILLIAMS AND TODD BASHORE - ALTO SAX
PATIENCE HIGGINS - BARITONE SAX
JASON JACKSON, MIKE DEASE, AND AARON JOHNSO - TROMBONE
FREDDIE HENDRIX, CHRIS ALBERT, CAMERON JOHNSON, AND DAVID WEISS - TRUMPET
OCTOBER 16 AND 17
GEORGE CABLES
XAVIER DAVIS (OCTOBER 15 AND 18) - PIANO
JANSEN CINCO - BASS
OCTOBER 16 AND 17
RALPH PETERSON / GREG HUTCHINSON (OCTOBER 15 AND 18)- DRUMS
OCT. 19
LARRY CORYELL WITH THE LES PAUL TRIO 8 & 10PM
LOU PALLO – GUITAR,
NICKI PARROTT – BASS,
JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO
10/20 CHARLI PERSIP & SUPERSOUND CD CELEBRATION
WED. OCT 21
ED PALERMO BIG BAND 8:30 & 10:30PM
OCT. 22-25
A TRIBUTE TO JACO PASTORIUS
VICTOR BAILEY- ELECTRIC BASS,
TM STEVENS - ELECTRIC BASS, VOCALS
DELMAR BROWN - KEYBOARDS, VOCALS
GIL GOLDSTEIN - KEYBOARDS, ARRANGER
MILES EVANS - TRUMPET
TIM OUIMETTE - TRUMPET
ANDREW SHERON - ELECTRIC BASS
ALEX FOSTER - ALTO SAX
BUTCH THOMAS - TENOR SAX
KENWOOD DENNARD - DRUMS, VOCALS, KEYBOARDS
PEDRO MARTINEZ - LATIN PERCUSSIONIST
FALU - NORTH INDIAN FEMALE VOCALIST
BILLY "SPACEMAN" PATTERSON - GUITARIST
GRACIE FINNIGAN FOX - VOCALIST
DAVID BARGERON - TROMBONE, TUBA
OCT. 24
JAKE HERTZOG MIDNIGHT
OCT. 26
THE LES PAUL TRIO WITH SPECIAL GUEST TBA 8 & 10PM
LOU PALLO – GUITAR,
NICKI PARROTT – BASS,
JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO
10/27 TERESE GENECCO & HER LITTLE BIG BAND 8 & 10PM
WED. OCT. 28
DUKE ROBILLARD BAND
OCT. 29-NOV.1
EDDIE DANIELS QUINTET W/SPECIAL GUEST BOB JAMES
DAVE FINCK - BASS,
JOE LABARBARA - DRUMS
10/30 JEN BROOKS (FRIDAY MIDNIGHT)
10/31 HALLOWEEN JAZZ PARTY (SATURDAY MIDNIGHT)
Julian Lennon Saddened over Death of Real Life Lucy
The real life woman -- Lucy Vodden -- who inspired the Beatles' song “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," has died after a years-long battle with lupus. Vodden died at age 46 at St. Thomas' Hospital in London. A young Julian Lennon once brought home a drawing of his classmate, Lucy, titled “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds." His father, John Lennon, used the phrase and the drawing as inspiration for the Beatles' psychedelic masterpiece.
Julian, who is “shocked and saddened" by Vodden's death, had reportedly reached out to his school pal in recent years. Lupus is a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks the body's tissue.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=43311
Monday, September 28, 2009
Veryan Weston - piano, free improvisation in Sao Paulo / BRAZIL
Veryan Weston (England): One of the names of free improvisation, the work brings Veryan harmonic inventiveness, wealth timbre and melodic sophistication. In the 70 co-founded and wrote for the Stinky Winkles and was elected "Young Musician of 1979" by the Greater London Arts Association, also winning three major awards in France, Spain and Poland.
Veryan graduated in Performance Art at Middlesex Polytechnic, and held master's degree in music composition at Goldsmith's College, University of London. He was coordinator of "Interart" at Bretton Hall, and professor of composition and improvisation at the University of Middlesex. Throughout 1980 and early 90s, worked primarily with the Eddie Prévost Quartet, Trevor Watts' Moiré Music and duets with Lol Coxhill and Phil Minton. He also worked on other projects with Minton, including 'riverun', Phil Minton Quartet with John Butcher and Roger Turner.
Workshop and concert with the participation of:
Phil Minton (voice),
Thomas Rohrer (violin)
Antonio Panda Gianfratti (percussion)
Date: 06/10/09, 14hs - Teatro Santa Marcelina - Free Entry
Rua Dr. Emilio Ribas, 89 - Perdizes - Sao Paulo / SP - Phone: (11) 3824-5800
http://farofamoderna.blogspot.com/2009/09/veryan-weston-piano-improvisacao-livre.html
Legendary Cuban Singer and Latin Grammy Nominee Omara Portuondo Receives Visa to Promote Concerts in USA
Omara Portuondo, the world renowned vocalist who began her career in the music scene of her native Cuba in the 1940s, has been granted a travel visa to perform in the United States for two very special dates in October. A member of the celebrated Buena Vista Social Club®, Omara is one of the first Cuban artists in six years to obtain a visa to perform in the U.S.
Omara, whom the Los Angeles Times called “the queen of Caribbean vocalists," will perform at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco on October 20, as part of the 2009 San Francisco Jazz Festival. Later that same week, she will perform on the campus of UCLA on Friday, October 23.
The permission to perform in the States comes just a few days after her 2008 recording, Gracias (World Village / Montuno), received a Latin Grammy nomination in the category of Best Contemporary Tropical Album. Gracias, which marks her sixtieth year in the music business, was recorded in Havana with a first-class quintet that includes pianist Roberta Fonseca, guitarist and musical director Swami Jr., bassist Avishai Cohen and percussionists Andre Coayo and Trilok Gurtu. At the time of the album's release, The New York Times noted that the years were no match for Omara's enduring vocal prowess: “Her voice...is rich, shapely, dynamic and still sultry."
The Latin Grammy Awards ceremony will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas on November 5. The travel visa granted to Omara, and the performances made possible by it, are an example of the Obama Administration's efforts to improve political and cultural relations between the U.S. and Cuba, which have been strained for more than four decades.
“Jos Mart, our great Cuban poet, once said that 'music is the soul of the people,'" says Omara. “Music is at the heart of every culture, something to be shared among all people, regardless of borders and politics. It has always been a universal language for people who might not otherwise understand each other. Perhaps, through these performances, I could be a goodwill ambassador between these two countries."
Born in Havana in 1930, Portuondo became a dancer at the famous Tropicana cabaret when she was still a teenager. In addition to dancing alongside her sister Haydee, the two girls also sang with a group called Los Loquibambla, a combo that specialized in a Cubanized version of the bossa nova with touches of American jazz.
Omara and Haydee - joined by Elena Burke and Moraima Secada - became the Quarteto Las d'Aida, directed by pianist Aida Diestro. Omara toured with the group for 15 years before recording her first solo album, Magia Negra, in 1959. She stayed with the quartet for several more years before launching her solo career in 1967, amidst the Cuban revolution and the great political and cultural upheaval that came with it.
Omara joined Cuba's high-profile Orchestra Aragn, with which she recorded several albums and toured all over the world through the '70s and '80s. But her career reached a new pinnacle via her performances for the 1997 recording, Buena Vista Social Club. The Grammy-winning album, and the accompanying Oscar-nominated film by Wim Wenders, showcased Omara's seasoned and passionate vocals in stirring duets with fellow club veterans Compay Segundo ("Veinte Años") and Ibrahim Ferrer ("Silencio").
Propelled by her success with Buena Vista, Omara entered the 21st century as an international sensation, with tours and festival dates that criss-crossed the globe. Her awards and accolades in that time have been numerous, including a 2004 Grammy nomination for Flor de Amor in the Best Traditional Tropical Record category. Billboard also recognized Flor de Amor with a 2005 Latin Music Award for Best Tropical Album of the Year. Her 2008 collaborative album, Omara Portuondo & Maria Bethnia, scored a Brazilian Music Award in the category of Special Projects.
In addition, she has committed her talents to assist the efforts of several humanitarian organizations. In 2004, she became the first Cuban artist to receive the designation of international ambassador by the International Red Cross. “I have helped the Red Cross by giving performances and making recordings whose proceeds benefit children who are sick with cancer, victims of natural disasters, people who live in poverty and women who suffer from abusive treatment."
Omara has also established the Fundacin de Amigos de Omara, a Cancun-based organization that provides support for women facing social and economic adversity in developing countries. “In the end, each of us has to use our gifts to help one another," she says. “This is something that is not only very important to our society, but also a beautiful expression of our humanity. My music is the gift I use to help others."
After six decades, Omara gives no thought to a final curtain call. She continues to derive a youthful energy from the positive vibrations of the world around her. “It is the simple and profound things - life, love - that inspire me most," she says. “Singing energizes me, and with this energy, I can introduce my culture and my roots to the world. Music is a part of nature, and a huge part of my life."
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=43298
Jamie Cullum to Release "The Pursuit" on March 2, 2010
Verve Records is very excited to announce the release of Jamie Cullum's first solo record in four years. The record is called The Pursuit and is being released March 2, 2010. It's Cullum's fifth record in a genre-defying career that has entertained an ever-growing fanbase across the globe since his first Verve record was released in 2002. The title of the record is taken from Nancy Milford's classic novel, The Pursuit of Love, and the songs on it are wonderfully eclectic as always, mixing modern influences with his love of jazz and timeless standards. No one can move from Cole Porter to Rhianna to Aphex Twin as boldly and deftly as Cullum does on The Pursuit.
The making of The Pursuit was a marathon not a sprint. Having decided to take time off after two years touring 2005's Catching Tales and the juggernaut of praise and press that followed the previous album, 2003's Twentysomething, Cullum turned to other projects. “I took a whole year off," he says, “I played in other people's bands and worked with other artists, I DJ'd, made dance music with my brother and traveled." During this time he also built his own studio and earned himself a Golden Globe nomination for his co-write with Clint Eastwood of the title song for the film “Gran Torino."
All the songs on The Pursuit began life at his studio as well as in his kitchen before recording moved to Los Angeles for three months over the summer of 2008. While work there with producer and long-time associate Greg Wells proved productive, some of the work from the kitchen made it to the final product. Recording in LA meant changing the techniques and routines Cullum had developed on his previous records.
“I didn't want to make this album with my old band or my old producer," he says, “I needed to frighten myself." While many of the songs were put together by Wells and Cullum in the studio, a selection of stellar talent contributed their musicianship. Members of Beck's band joined the sessions while the horn section that played on Michael Jackson's Thriller also appear. “Getting out of your comfort zone is such a cliche for your third or fourth album," he says sincerely, “But, you know, it really worked."
Ten years on from his first self-funded release, Heard It All Before, Cullum is still pursuing new sounds and new ideas in his music. “We've had a lot of musicians who've arrived fully formed. When I made my first record it was a stab in the dark, something to sell at my wedding gigs." “I think I've come close to fully realizing what I should be with this record. I didn't know who I wanted to be when I was 19," he says.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=43297
Jazz Now: Your First Five Modern Jazz Albums
Earlier this year, Take Five presented "The First Five: One Man's Introduction To Jazz." That feature saw NPR Arts editor Tom Cole talking about his personal introduction to the art. One day, he walked into a Washington, D.C. record shop and asked a clerk to pick out five great jazz albums to take home. Five LPs later, he was hooked.
That music was phenomenal, of course, but it was all recorded decades ago. Jazz today is full of vital, fresh artists who are honoring that history by making personal, original music. Which got us at NPR Music thinking: if someone came to one of us asking for an introduction to the jazz of today, which five records would we pull off our shelves?
So for NPR's A Blog Supreme, we asked seven young jazz fans — none older than 24 — to write their introductions to modern jazz. Considered together, they run five promising jazz Web sites: Search and Restore, a live jazz information hub for New York City; Nextbop, a site with music and profiles of exciting new artists; RVAJazz, which tracks the burgeoning creative music scene in Richmond, Va.; Lubricity, a jazz blog penned by a historian in training; and AccuJazz, "the future of jazz radio." These folks represent the jazz audience of the future — so who better to tell us about Jazz Now?
Below are highlights from our guest contributors. All of it is from the last 10 years, and all of it represents the many different, uncompromising directions that jazz is headed. If you're already hooked on the jazz of the present, wonderful! We'd love to hear your lists in the comments, or on your own Web sites. If you're just getting started, welcome: here's some great music.
Brad Mehldau
Album: Largo
Song: When It Rains
Christian Scott
Album: Anthem
Song: Litany Against Fear
Andrew D'Angelo
Album: Skadra Degis
Song: Fam Hana
Soulive
Album: Up Here [CD/DVD]
Song: Hat Trick
Tigran Hamasyan & Aratta Rebirth
Album: Red Hail
Song: Sibylla
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113276760&ft=1&f=1039
Music Review: Carey's 'Imperfect Angel' is perfect
The song, on her latest CD, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel," finds a hungover Carey kicking her lover to the curb with particularly harsh words. "Another early morning, and you walk in like it's nothing ... ain't no doughnuts, ain't coffee," she sings with attitude in her signature high-pitch tone. "Let me take a breath and regain my composure, told you more time, if you (expletive) up it's over."
But even though she's spitting venom, Carey's cooing on the doo-wop sounding song is so sensuous and sweet, even the song's intended target will remain under her spell — as will her listeners. "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel" is an exceptional album that is about love — being in it, out of it, over it and trying to reach it. While the subjects are tried and true, they are never tired, thanks to Carey's approach, which mixes a good dose of humor and wit with her multi-octave voice.
"Betcha Gon' Know," the disc's opening track, sets the tone as Carey compares the seriousness of her broken heart to news programs like "60 Minutes," "20/20" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Carey produced and wrote the majority of the album with Christopher "Tricky" Stewart and Terius "The-Dream" Nash — and those hitmakers add their own touch to "Imperfect Angel" without overdoing it. "Ribbon," which bumps with southern flavor, is radio-friendly, showcasing The-Dream and Tricky's signature sound. As does "Standing O," with its addictive hook.
Other notables tunes include "H.A.T.E.U." ("Having a Typical Emotional Upset"), a beautiful heartbreak ballad, and the top-notch "Candy Bling," a teenage love affair tune that finds Carey so in love she "can't delete your picture from my mind." Some of the tracks use samples: "Inseparable" interpolates Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" and "The Impossible" finds Carey "layin' in the bed bumpin' Jodeci." The latter samples the R&B group's hit song "Forever My Lady."
"Imperfect Angel," though helmed by The-Dream and Tricky, still maintains a classic Mariah sound — especially on the soothing "Angels Cry" and its accompanying prelude, and the personal "Languishing," highlighted by a piano.
No one is perfect — that's obvious. This CD is — that's obvious too.
CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: "It's a Wrap" joins tracks like "Vision of Love," "Always Be My Baby" and "We Belong Together" as a classic Mariah song.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090928/ap_en_re/us_music_review_mariah_carey
StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Dig These dueling Divas
Next week will be another busy one for jazz and creative music in St. Louis, and among the visitors to our fair city will be two well-known female vocalists, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Ann Hampton Callaway.
Callaway will be in town on Friday night at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis to sing at the kickoff event for the 2009 U.S. Women's Chess Championship, while Bridgewater will perform her tribute to Billie Holiday on Saturday at the Sheldon Concert Hall. While the two divas won't actually be dueling in person - yr. humble editor's fondness for alliterative headlines notwithstanding - we do have an opportunity to compare and contrast samples of their work right here.
Up top, you can see both women swinging, as Bridgewater sings "Shiny Stockings" with the Italian Big Band and Callaway revisits the famous Ella Fitzgerald arrangement of "How High The Moon" with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Down below, it's ballad time from the same two gigs, with Bridgewater crooning "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and Callaway singing "Body and Soul".
http://stljazznotes.blogspot.com/2009/09/stljn-saturday-video-showcase-dig-these.html
Antonio Ciacca Quartet in Lagos Blues
Steve Grossman will be the special guest in his last album recorded in Bologna “Lagos Blues". It will be released the coming January 2010 and Antonio Ciacca will play exclusively for the first edition of ITALIAN JAZZ DAYS some songs of this new Album. Ciacca in 2009 turned 40. His year long celebrations included: appearance at New York Blue Note, one week engagement at Dizzy's, performances at the Rochester and Detroit International Jazz Festivals, European Tour with George Garzone and Joe Locke special guests, release of his first Music Book, 'The Music of Antonio Ciacca 'Vol. 1', an invitation to teach “Business of Jazz" at Julliard.
The participation at the Detroit International Jazz Festival has been the climax of a fantastic journey started in Detroit in 1993 when Antonio first touched the Usa soil. The master classes with Kenny Barron and Barry Harris and his tenure with the Larry Smith Quartet at Bert's are the pillars of his career.
Nowadays the New York based pianist and composer Ciacca enjoys his work as Director of Programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center, his family of wife and 5 kids and his beloved jazz piano playing the city jazz clubs.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=43292
