Henry Jacobs + Shorty Petterstein

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the Northeast, I thought I'd ease the tension a little by visitng with another Sandy—Henry Sandy Jacobs. He's a sound artist and humorist who in the 1950s all but invented the hipster comedy album on the West Coast. His Wide Weird World of Shorty Petterstein featured funny fictional conversational encounters between clueless squares and all-knowing hipsters.

The point was to poke gentle fun at both the middle-brow inquisitor and the eccentric jazz musician. For more on Jacobs, go to Fred Seibert's Frederator blog here and to radio station WFMU here. As you scroll down the second site, be sure to click on the audio links with titles like "A History of Jazz" and "Origins of Jazz Terms."

Here's a Jacobs cartoon from 1961 called The Interview. Many thanks to William Forbes for sending it along...

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Acoustic jazz/soul duo performs in Anderson

By Anderson Valley Post staff

Acoustic jazz/soul duo Allison Scull and Victor Martin will perform for diners at the Woodside Grill at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1.

The restaurant is part of the Gaia Hotel, 4125 Riverside Place, in Anderson.

With guitar, vocals, and saxophone, the duo blends “elements of folk, jazz, blues, European and Latin music, all of which translates into a laid-back vibe that tends to put people at ease,” stated a 2011 review in Enjoy Magazine.

The duo has released three CDs: “From the Back Burner” in 2002, “Live” in 2006 and “Cool like the Breeze” in 2010.

Music samples are available online at http://www.allisonandvictor.com. The duo is working on two new CDs, one with original, new material and another with Spanish adaptations of previously recorded songs. For dinner reservations, call (877) 778-3977 or (530) 365-7077.

From: http://www.andersonvalleypost.com/news/2012/oct/30/acoustic-jazzsoul-duo-performs-anderson/?partner=RSS

Tony Bennett Records New Jazz Album With Lady GaGa

Tony Bennett has got his hands full as things fall into place for his new collaboration with pop superstarLady GaGa. The "Fly Me to the Moon" crooner expressed his excitement for the project and said that he couldn't wait for the world to hear GaGa in a new light. 

Bennett previously worked with the "Bad Romance" hitmaker in "The Lady Is a Tramp" for his album "Duets II". Bennett now reveals that throughout the course of the recording for "Tramp", the two of them formed a close relationship and had such a good time so they decided to head back to the recording studio. 

In an interview with Billboard, Bennett recalled how GaGa's father, Joseph Germanotta, called him on his daughter's behalf while she was on tour in Australia and explained that GaGa wanted to do a jazz album with him. Bennett immediately accepted the idea saying, "You got it!" He added, "A lot of people don't know it, but she's a phenomenal jazz singer. It's going to really reaffirm that she's one of the best that anyone's ever heard." 

Arranger and orchestrator, Marion Evans is already confirmed to work with the two artists on this new album, though details like title and track listing are still "secret" for now, said Bennett. 

Bennett is busy promoting his new album "Viva Duets" and a book entitled "Life Is a Gift: The Zen of Bennett". 
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00055048.html

Music fans enjoy all that jazz

By Georgina O'Halloran

CORK is in full swing this weekend for the annual Guinness Jazz Festival.

More than 1,000 musicians from all over the globe will perform during the four-day event, with hip-hop trio De La Soul, who play the Cork Opera House tonight, among a long list of must-see acts.

Serious jazz fans flocked to The Everyman last night to hear a double-bill by acclaimed American trumpeter and Grammy award winner, Roy Hargrove, and singer Gregory Porter.

And The Hot 8 Brass Band from New Orleans blew crowds away with an impressive set at The Bodega Bar.

Today, Armenian pianist Tigran Hamasyan and group Miles Smiles All Stars will bring the keen jazz fans out in force, while Hypnotic Brass Ensemble look set to woo crowds when they play at The Pavillion later this evening.

For those not lucky enough to secure tickets, there is a huge selection of free gigs taking place in pubs around the city as well as music on the streets by the New York Brass Band and Dixieland Crackerjack as part of the Fringe festival.

Other highlights of the Jazz Fringe include this morning's Jazz Gospel service at St Anne's Church in Shandon and a Jazz brunch at the five-star Hayfield Manor with music by AJ Brown.

http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/music-fans-enjoy-all-that-jazz-3276733.html

Tom Harrell Chamber Ensemble in La Jolla

The blending of chamber music with jazz has been an ongoing experiment for many years. Trumpet master Tom Harrell brought the ideas and music of Ravel and Debussy into the Athenaeum at TSRI last night for two sets of lushly orchestrated chamber jazz with his regular touring group of saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, pianist Danny Grissett, drummer Johnathan Blake with violinist Meg Okura, cellist Rubin Kodheli and guitarist Rale Micic in tow.

Opening with Debussy's "Reverie," each instrument entered in succession until a rich harmony was achieved. Suddenly, the band switched gears into a effusive swing propeled by Okegwo's muscular bass and the creative-at-any-volume drums of Blake, a constant source of delight. Grissett soloed fist--shooting ebullient melodic cascades with dashes of the blues. Escoffery followed, on tenor, building a winding spot that peaked with upper register screaming before Harrells melifluous flugelhorn emerged-- darting around the form with warm flourishes.

Escoffery provided most of the excitement for the evening: his post-Trane tenor pumped some much needed blood into a sometimes overly pastel aesthetic. Harrell himself is a master of nuanced intensity and his compact, solos were always inventive.

Grissett soared in several spots--notably in his duet with Harrell on "Voices," where his sense of lyric resonance and intricate multi-note excursions proved a perfect foil for the trumpeter.

Okura balanced fierce dissonance with honeyed textures on "Musique de Cafe," and cut loose with a wild, soulful turn on "Passepied," which also featured Micic on a excellent solo on an otherwise quiet night for the guitarist.

Anytime the drummer got loose led to an excitable dynamic that lifted the music to a higher level. Blake's tight control and sense of drama should make him a valuable commodity in any context.

Very creative stuff-- I've come to expect nothing less from Dan Atkinson and the folks at Athenaeum Jazz.

Photo by Katie Walders, Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/jam-session/2012/oct/26/tom-harrell-chamber-ensemble-in-la-jolla/

The Beatles 1st Ed Sullivan Performance

Jazz & Colors

Central Park will host an unusual jazz concert in November as the fall foliage reaches its peak: 30 ensembles have been asked to play a collection of standards at different locations around the park, creating a sprawling concert with a communal set list, organizers said.

The “Jazz & Colors” event is the brainchild of Peter Shapiro, the film producer and local concert promoter behind the Brooklyn Bowl and the Capitol Theaterin Port Chester. It is being produced in partnership with the Central Park Conservancy, and Mr. Shapiro’s company, Dayglo Ventures, is underwriting the production costs.

Mr. Shapiro said he hopes the event on Nov. 10, which is free and open to the public, will suffuse the park with jazz without temporary stages, fences, barriers, portable toilets and other trappings of large concerts. The project was inspired, he said, by “The Gates,” the public art installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in February 2005 that involved 7,500 cloth-covered portals on the park’s pathways.

“The goal is almost an audio version of ‘The Gates,’” he said. “Jazz is the kind of music you can float around to. You can experience Central Park with a score.”

Andrea Mohin/The New York Times“The Gates” filled Central Park in 2005.

The lineup has yet to be announced, but will feature big bands and small combos, emerging artists and established players, across a broad range of jazz styles, organizers said. They will set up and play at 30 well-known landmarks, among them the Naumburg Bandshell, the Delacorte Theater, the Harlem Meer, Duke Ellington Circle, the East Meadow and the Glade Arch. Other groups of musicians will play at the park’s major entrances and next to several playgrounds.

Librado Romero/The New York TimesMusicians are being asked to perform standards that touch on autumn or the city as a theme.

Doug Blonsky, the president and chief executive of the Central Park Conservancy, said the concerts should lure people into parts of the park they may not have visited before. “This is a nice way to have people explore the park without inundating them with music,” he said. “It’s all going to be low-key, small performances, and small set-ups.”

The organizers said they intend to separate the bands enough that a pedestrian strolling through the park will not be able to hear two combos at once, but will pass from one band’s sphere of sound into another.

Brice Rosenbloom, a producer known for founding the Winter Jazzfest, is booking the acts for the Central Park event. He said the musicians are being asked to perform about 18 standards, all touching on autumn or the city as a theme. The set will include “Autumn in New York,” “Take the A Train,” “Nature Boy,” and John Coltrane’s composition “Central Park West.”

The groups will play two sets, starting at noon and going to 4 p.m, with student soloists providing music between sets. As is to be expected in jazz, the interpretations of the songs will be all over the map, Mr. Rosenbloom said. “The majority of the groups will play the tunes in a recognizable fashion,” he said. “Some will be a little more challenging. I have told every group we encourage them to put their own spin on the tunes.”

From: 
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/jazz-colors-to-fill-central-park-with-standards/
http://jazzandcolors.com/centralpark/

Chembo Corniel + Poncho Sanchez

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

For me, great Latin-jazz is almost exclusively about taste. Since one doesn't become a Latin-jazz musician without extraordinary instrumental and improvisational skills (the music is simply too complex), what separates great recordings from so-so or tedious ones is the artist's choice of material and how the music is served up.

For many lay listeners who resist Latin-jazz, their big beef often is excessive, overwhelming percussion and open-ended solos that show off speed and endurance but offer little in the way of heart and poetry. To each his own, of course. But if you find yourself in this group—those who aren't generally swept away by Latin-jazz—there are two CDs by leading percussionists you should know about.

The first is Afro Blue Monk by the Chembo Corniel Quintet and the other is Live in Hollywood by Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band. Both offer plenty of percussive pep. But more important, they feature songs that have a beginning, middle and end—and build toward a purpose and statement without taxing the listener.

Afro Blue Monk features Chembo on a range of percussion instruments, including the conga and bata. He's joined by Ivan Renta (saxes), Elio Villafranca (piano), Crolo Derosa (bass) and Vince Cherico (drums)—with special guests Ileana Santamaria (vocal), Frank Fontaine, (clarinet/flute) and Ogduardo Roman Diaz and Diego Lopez (bata). By the way, the bata looks like a conga but has a more tapered, hourglass silhouette.

Emiliano by pianist Villafranca is a Latin-fusion piece that rises and falls splendidly with tasty rhythms and percussion in just the right spots. Mongo Santamaria's Afro Bluefeatures Mongo's daughter on vocal. And Wayne Shorter'sDeluge (from JuJu) is given a sizzling Latin-jazz spin.

Sanchez's album is a little more old school. There's the mambo-influenced Poncho Sanchez Medley, a terrific merging of Mambo Inn and On Green Dolphin Street, andMorning, a passionate tribute to the song's composer and Sanchez's friend—the late Clare Fischer.

Interestingly, Sanchez's band also takes on Afro Blue, and the comparison makes for compelling listening. Both versions move at a brisk pace and seize upon the original's intent and groove.

Two Latin-jazz albums with grace and enough curves that any jazz fan will dig.

JazzWax tracks: Chembo Corniel's Afro Blue Monk (ASM) is available here. Live in Hollywood (Concord) by Poncho Sanchez and His Latin Jazz Band is available here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Emiliano from Chembo Corniel's Afro Blue Monk...

Chembo Corniel: Emiliano

Here's Poncho Sanchez's rendition of Clare Fischer'sMorning...

Poncho Sanchez: Morning

Used with permission by Marc Myers

NJJazzList.com Calendar

10/27 Sat Barbara Rose, Pianist & Vocalist at Oyster Point Hotel, Red Bank 7:00 pm to 12:00 am Style: Mixed,Cover: None, Celebrate the American Songbook with the most gifted, former child piano prodigy, on the East Coast. Barbara's piano style is reminiscent of Thelonius Monk. Call for Dinner Reservations. 732-530-8200Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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10/27 Sat Carrie Jackson & Her Jazzin' All-Stars at The Mill at Spring Lake Heights 8:00 pm to 11:00 pmStyle: Vocal, Cover: None, Join us every Saturday night for the areas most talented jazz & blues musicians. Never a cover. Stop in for dinner or just cocktails! Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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10/27 Sat Jim DeSalvo Trio at Ocean County Library, Jackson Branch 2:00 pm to TBA Style: Straight-ahead,Cover: None, Jim DeSalvo (piano), Chris Lough (bass) & Tom Sayek (drums); 2 Jackson Dr., Jackson, NJ 08527Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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10/27 Sat Joel Perry Solo Guitar at Black Horse Tavern 1 West Main, Mendham, NJ 7:00 pm to 10:30 am Style:Guitar, Cover: None, GREAT DATE PLACE OR FAMILY OR SINGLE HANG AT BAR OR TABLE EXCELLENT FOOD GREAT ATMOSPHERE Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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10/27 Sat Joel Zelnik Trio at The Puffin Forum 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: $10 or less, We''ll be performing "My Bill Evans-a personal conversation" which is based upon the dialogues between Joel and Bill at the Village Gate during the mid- 1960's. Some signature songs of Bill will be played, material that he might have considered, andtunes that I favor along with his influence. Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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10/27 Sat No Place To Go with Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra at Two River Theater Company 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: Tickets Available, Shows at 3pm & 8pm. Written by Ethan Lipton. Directed by Leigh Silverman. Music by Ethan Lipton, Eben Levy, Ian M. Riggs, and Vito Dieterle. Performed by Ethan Lipton & his Orchestra. Single ticket prices start at $20. A musical that "works" for everyone! Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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10/27 Sat Pat Tandy at Candlelight Lounge 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm Style: Vocal, Cover: $10 or less, Free Buffet, $10.00 minimum Learn more , (609/ )

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10/27 Sat The Joel Zelnik Trio at Puffin Cultural Forum 8:00 pm to 9:30 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: $10 or less, The Joel Zelnik Trio will perform "My Bill Evans - A Personal Conversation" based on the dialogues betwee Bill and Joel during the mid 1960's at New York's Village Gate We'll play some of Bill's signature tunes, songs he might have considered, and my own favorites Learn more , Hear samples , (201/551)

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10/27 Sat The Sandy Sasso Group at Chico's House of Jazz 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Vocal, Cover: $10 or less, Come celebrate Halaloween by wearing a crazy hat to the club. Lots of fun and laughs Good appetizers available. Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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10/27 Sat Wenonah Brooks & Company at Hopewell Train Station, RailRoad Pl, Hopewell, NJ 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: Tickets Available, Saturday Night Fish Fry. Call 908-249-3403 for tickets. Wenonah Brooks, vocalist; Nate Lucas, organ; Joe Brown, Jr, drums and surprize guitarist. , (609/ )

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10/27 Sat West Hills Project at 16 Prospect Wine Bar & Bistro 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: None, The Project has a raw energy that gives new life to the classic standards. From Sinatra to Van Morrison... Tips appreciated. Learn more , Hear samples , (908/ )

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10/28 Sun WP Alumni Super Band feat. Freddie Hendrix at Shea Auditorium, William Paterson University 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: Tickets Available, A gathering of leading WP alumni in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Jazz Program - feat. busy trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, pianist Matt King, bassist Doug Weiss, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Learn more , Hear samples , (862/973)

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10/28 Sun "Jazz In The Spirit" - jazz and worship series at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 61 Church St, Teaneck 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: donation, "In the Spirit" is a Jazz Vespers service held at St. Paul's on the fourth Sunday of each month at 4:30 P.M. It's a great opportunity for people in our community to hear some great jazz and words of scripture. Pianist/vocalist Loren Daniels appears each month with a dazzling array of renowned local singers and instrumentalists in a varied program. Each program may spotlight a jazz legend, a season, or a spiritual theme. Learn more , (201/551)

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10/28 Sun B.D. Lenz (solo) at Sette Luna 11:00 am to 2:30 pm Style: Guitar, Cover: None, B.D. solo for jazz brunch! Learn more , Hear samples , ()

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10/28 Sun Barbara Rose, Pianist & Vocalist at Molly Pitcher Inn, Red Bank 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Style: Piano,Cover: None, "JAZZ BRUNCH" Seatings are 11am and 1:30pm. Call for Reservations. 732-747-2500 Barbara's piano style is reminiscent of Thelonius Monk. Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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10/28 Sun Dr. Dubious and the Agnostics at River Edge Public Library 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm Style:Traditional/Dixieland, Cover: None, The hot jazz of the '20's and '30's with this 7 piece Dixieland Band . Learn more , Hear samples , (201/551)

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10/28 Sun John Bianculli & Friends at Soma Center for Yoga, Bodywork & the Moving Arts 3:00 pm to 5:00 pmStyle: Mixed, Cover: Tickets Available, 511 Raritan Ave   Highland Park, NJ     732.777.YOGA (9642) Light refreshments & non-alcoholic beverages BYOB $12 adults, $8 - 17 yrs & under Bring a guest & your fee is just $8 Children 5 and under FREE Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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10/28 Sun Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar at The Waterside 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm Style: Cool Jazz, Cover: None, Lou Volpe plays solo at this jazz brunch across from the 79th St. boat basin with beautiful views of Manhattan. Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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10/28 Sun No Place To Go with Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra at Two River Theater Company 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: Tickets Available, Written by Ethan Lipton. Directed by Leigh Silverman. Music by Ethan Lipton, Eben Levy, Ian M. Riggs, and Vito Dieterle. Performed by Ethan Lipton & his Orchestra. Single ticket prices start at $20. A musical that "works" for everyone! Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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10/29 Mon 10th Street Live Open Mic at 10th Street Live 8:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Mixed, Cover: None, Open mics are a great way to share your singing, songwriting, and musical talent, and give you real world performing experience in front of a live audience. Come early and enjoy dinner and a drink. Learn more , (908/ )

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10/29 Mon Mauricio de Souza Trio at Garage Jazz Club 10:30 pm to 2:30 am Style: Straight-ahead, Cover:None, Mauricio de Souza Trio at Garage. 10:30pm-2:30am. 99 7th Ave. South, New York, NY. 212-645-0600. www.garagejazz.com. Mauricio de Souza Trio will be playing tunes from the new album, w/ arrangements of compositions by Tom Jobim, Chick Corea, Benny Golson, Baden Powell, John Coltrane, Hermeto Pascoal, Cedar Walton, Charlie Parker, Milton Nascimento, and Freddie Hubbard among others. Maurício de Souza (drums), Benito Gonzalez (piano), Joonsam Lee (bass). Learn more , Hear samples , (212/ )

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10/29 Mon The Joshua Breakstone Trio at The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style:Bebop/Hard Bop, Cover: None, Guitarist Joshua Breakstone with Earl Sauls- bass Noel Sagerman- drums at a truly legendary venue. 45 Main St in Stanhope, NJ. More info: 973-347-7777 Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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10/29 Mon well Fed Trio at park Wood Diner,1958 Springfield Ave, Maplewood,NJ 7:00 pm to 8:30 am Style:Guitar, Cover: None, Great food great jazz wide variety great family casual atmosphere frequent musical guests!Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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10/30 Tue George Maher Group at Tumulty's Pub - 361 George St. New Brunswick, NJ 8:00 pm to 11:00 pmStyle: Mixed, Cover: None, Group Trumpeter George Maher and his group. Jam session at 9.30! Tumulty's Pub - 361 George St. New Brunswick, NJ $4 soda charge for under 21s. , (Unknown)

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10/30 Tue **Jam Session** at Tumulty's Pub - 361 George St. New Brunswick, NJ 9:30 pm to 11:00 pm Style:Mixed, Cover: None, Jam session at 9.30! Tumulty's Pub - 361 George St. New Brunswick, NJ $4 soda charge for under 21s. , (Unknown)

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10/31 Wed Bossa Brasil® at Jazz It Up! Concert Event at Tony's Cafe 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Style:Brazilian/Latin, Cover: Tickets Available, Bossa Brasil® at Jazz It Up Series - Tony's Cafe. 7-9pm. $29.95: concert + music menu. 21 North Union Ave., Cranford, NJ. Tkts + reservations 908-301-1285. www.tonyscranford.com. Presented by Sunrex Entertainment Group. Bossa Brasil® will play tunes from the new album w/ arrangements of compositions by Tom Jobim, Milton Nascimento, Baden Powell, Dizzy Guillespie, Sharel Cassity, Pat Metheny, Hermeto Pascoal, Roberto Menescal, and Edu Lobo among others. Maurício de Souza (drums), Sharel Cassity (alto sax), Miho Nobuzane (piano), John Lee (bass). Learn more , Hear samples , (908/ )

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10/31 Wed Jazz It Up @ Tony's Cafe with BOSSA BRASIL at Tony's Cafe 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Style:Brazilian/Latin, Cover: Tickets Available, The popular monthly Jazz It Up @ Tony's Cafe Concert & Dining Experience 21 Union Ave.N, continues at this intimate venue in downtown Cranford with an evening with the BOSSA BRASIL quartet in concert. They perform the most sophisticated Brazilian music, including the exotic rhythms of the Baiao and the Chorinho. Come enjoy original Bossa Brasil compositions from their recent "Here There" album plus selections by Tom Jobim, Egberto Gismonti, Milton Nacimento, Edu Lobo, Baden Powell and others. The experience includes dinner entree, dessert & beverage. BYO is welcome. For tickets & info call 908-301-1285. Learn more , (908/ )

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10/31 Wed No Place To Go with Ethan Lipton and His Orchestra at Two River Theater Company 1:00 pm to 9:30 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: Tickets Available, Shows at 1pm and 7pm. Written by Ethan Lipton. Directed by Leigh Silverman. Music by Ethan Lipton, Eben Levy, Ian M. Riggs, and Vito Dieterle. Performed by Ethan Lipton & his Orchestra. Single ticket prices start at $20. A musical that "works" for everyone! Learn more , Hear samples, (732/848)

Classic Jazz Piano and Swing Music

Michael BrianWhen:Sat. 10/27 6:30 p.m..Where:Port Jefferson Village Center
101A E. Broadway 
Port Jefferson, NY 11777Price:$75Description:Performance by the Judy Carmichael Trio accompanied by Chris Flory on guitar and Jeff Rupert on tenor saxophone

From: http://long-island.newsday.com/events/classic-jazz-piano-and-swing-music-1.4015447

Madeline Peyroux: Back where she belongs

PHOTO: MARY ELLEN-MARK

Not many musicians go from street busking to the top of the charts and then back to the streets. But Madeline Peyroux is not your typical musician.

The jazz/blues vocal stylist whose rich, smoky voice has been compared to everyone from Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith to Norah Jones and Cassandra Wilson, has experienced a journey with as many twists and turns as her snaky music. And it’s far from its destination.

“At the end of the day, I just want to make sure that I’m singing, so I don’t have very much else to say,” said Peyroux last week from her New York City home. The 39- year-old native of Athens, Georgia then immediately stood the sentence on its head by offering a detailed chronicle of her acclaimed career that began on a Paris street corner, grew in 1996 when TIME magazine pronounced her 1996 debut album Dreamland “the most exciting, involving vocal performance by a new singer this year,” and has continued with a steady stream of acclaimed albums and performances that have secured her place as one of the pop music scene’s most accomplished artists.

Following her “hippie” parents from Georgia to New York so her father could pursue an acting career, Peyroux found herself at age 13 in Paris with her newly divorced mother.

“My parents were definitely radical in their own right, and while I didn’t enjoy it too much at the time, my rather eccentric upbringing did expose me to a lot of things that I’m now glad I was exposed to – it was a big part of my education,” said Peyroux.

Having learned the rudiments of guitar by playing the ukulele with her mother, Peyroux became attracted to the street musicians in the Latin Quarter of Paris, and by the time she was 15, she was performing on her own and with a group called the Riverboat Shufflers. The next year, she joined The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band and spent a number of years touring Europe performing jazz standards.

“There was this special chemistry at that time in Paris where musicians were sort of sharing this free space and the air was very liberal,” she said. “Everyone was just exploring how to enjoy life and share ideas with people. For me as a 15-year-old, it was very impressionable and I was excited about seeing people function as musicians.”

“The scene was joyful and supported by the community, but it was temporary – it ended a couple years after I landed there. In order to be satisfying, music needs to be spontaneous and organic, but perhaps things that are truly beautiful, honest and organic can’t be forced to continue artificially along a certain path.”

The time honing her trade on the street taught Peyroux plenty, more about attitude and life experiences than technical musical theory, although she was exposed to the music of Smith and Holiday by visiting American musicians. It also taught her about performing in front of virtually any type of audience.
Read more on: http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Music/Article.aspx?id=289153

Support jazz music — Masike

Report by Simbarashe Manhango

Speaking to NewsDay on the sidelines of her performance during the October Jazz Festival at the Book Café last week, Masike said the jazz sector has not been receiving enough support.

“There is need to redefine jazz and develop understanding on the technicalities that revolve around this genre. Besides Jazz festivals that come and go annually, a lot has not been done to support the growth of jazz locally,” said Masike.

“There are no longer venues hosting jazz and above all local promoters are dedicated to other types of music and seem worried about returns when considering this genre.”

She added that local music promoters are the ones that need to make the initial step to bring about transformation in this sector.

“Imagine the popularity which township jazz enjoyed in the past. Things have since changed and the hype is no longer there. What good can we be doing to this rich musical heritage if we don’t support it?”

“Promoters need to invest in concerts and venues that cater for jazz artists. For instance, there are some musical genres that do not even coincide with jazz and artists who are dubbed jazz artists when they are not and this is a bit disrespectful.”

“So it starts with the promoters since they are the big players who are supposed to nurture and support the brand.”

Besides noting some of the challenges faced by jazz artists today, Masike also highlighted the need for artists to follow educative procedures that play a role in developing jazz.

“Perhaps jazz artists also need to consider opening a jazz academy where artists and the media are groomed about what jazz really is.
“The way this genre is treated in foreign countries is different from how we define it locally. Artists need to start going around schools and equip the next generation of jazz artists with the right mindset.

“This way the audience can really get to appreciate and get involved in the development of this genre,” said Masike.

Meanwhile, Masike gave an eclectic performance last week on Thursday at the Book Café when she collaborated with the Italian jazz outfit Down Time Quintet.

“It was exciting and considering that we had not rehearsed at all, the set was amazing I also learnt a lot from this group,”she said.

http://www.newsday.co.zw/2012/10/24/support-jazz-music-masike/

Jazz Orchestra to pay tribute to Ellington, Basie

The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra will pay tribute to the music of jazz greats Count Basie (left) and Duke Ellington with a pair of concerts at the Touhill Center at UMSL. The first performance will focus on Ellington and begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 30. (Photos via Wikimedia Commons)

When speaking of jazz visionaries and musical trailblazers, Duke Ellington and Count Basie are typically mentioned in the same sentence. And while their music falls clearly into the same category, their styles were drastically different.

The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra will pay tribute to each legend’s legacy this concert season at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. “A Night of Duke Ellington” is the first concert. It will begin at 7 p.m. Oct. 30.

Prolific songwriter Duke Ellington led his namesake orchestra, but it’s his compositions that continue to inspire generations of jazz, theatre, pop and soundtrack composers. He wrote more than 3,000 songs in his lifetime, blending elements of American music, including ragtime, blues and Tin Pan Alley tunes to create his sound.

“In collaboration with Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington is the big-band equivalent of Beethoven and Bach to classical music,” noted Jim Widner, bassist, director of the St. Louis Jazz Orchestra and director of jazz studies at UMSL.

Ellington was the composer. Basie was the bandleader.

Basie led from his piano – but his true instrument was his band. His sound was about efficiency and economy, encouraging a “less is more” sound from band members. “Mr. Basie’s band, more than any other, was the epitome of swing, of jazz that moved with a built-in flowing intensity,” wrote the New York Times. His arrangements were relaxed, allowing a clean backdrop for generous solo turns from outstanding musicians in the band.

The St. Louis Jazz Orchestra will perform “A Night of Count Basie” at 7 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Touhill.

Come to just one concert to enjoy the sound of one of these greats. Or come to both because you can’t think of one without the other. Either way, you’ll hear the finest jazz musicians in the St. Louis area do what they do best – pay spectacular live tribute to big band royalty.

Tickets for each concert are $25. Call 314-516-4949 or visit touhill.org to purchase tickets.
From: http://blogs.umsl.edu/news/2012/10/24/ellington-basie/