Jazzing up Manila: the CCP way

PHOTO: BENJAMIN LAYUG

by Benjamin Layug posted on August 30, 2013

For the second time around, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) will gather more than 100 jazz artists and 15 bands from the Philippines and all over the world (U.S.A., Europe and Asia) as they perform jazz music, in all its styles (from the big band, swing, blues, fusion and experimental) from September 17-22, 2013. 

The first edition of the international jazz festival, billed The Story of Jazz: 1st CCP International Jazz Festival, was held last August 2011. The 2nd CCP International Jazz Festival will be held at two venues of the CCP. This year’s edition will also feature workshops and lectures on various jazz genres.

In addition, partnerships with some hotels (Bayview Hotel, Diamond Hotel, Manila Hotel, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila and Traders Hotel) will enable some of the festival performers to provide a sampling of their expertise in these venues. 

In a recent lunchtime press conference held at the Millennium Hall of the Manila Hotel, members of the press (including PEP.ph) were treated to a sampler of what to expect as some of the Filipino festival participants performed a number of jazz pieces.  

Humanfolk, with Mr. Johhny Alegre (guitar), Jay Ronquillo (bass) and Mr. Jun Viray (drums), performed the Herbie Hancock-composed jazz fusion standard “Cantaloupe Island.”  This was followed up by a solo piano performance by Mr. Emy Munji who performed “Laura,” adapted from the theme of the 1944 movie with the same name. Finally, The Anything Goes Jazz Group, with Mr. Michael Puyat (vocals), Mr. Bobbet Bernadas (bass) and Mr. Archie Lacorte (saxophone), rendered their version of “The Lady is a Tramp,” a Richard Rodgers swing anthem from the 1937 Broadway musical Babes in Arms.

According to Mr. Raul Sunico, CCP President and an internationally-known pianist himself, the festival is “a recognition of the jazz genre as a major style of musical creativity through improvisation as well as the distinct theories in its harmonic, scalar, and rhythmic components that are both appealing and inviting to the listener.”  

He pointed out that “the global attraction of jazz has reached a wide spectrum of enthusiasts, including Asia where its own brand of Eastern and ethnic music seems to fuse well with its style."

Read more: http://www.pep.ph/guide/music/12463/jazzing-up-manila-the-ccp-way

All that jazz at Ibis

AUGUST 30, 2013 BY CHUX OHAI

At a time most music fans have given up on jazz music, a new hospitality outlet in the heart of Ikeja is set to ng the music genre to the entertainment circles in Lagos.

The man in the centre of this initiative, Mr. Olufemi Okenla, Managing Director of Ibis Hotel, says it is his contribution to the growth of the entertainment and hospitality industries in the city.

“Basically we believe that entertainment and hospitality are inseparable. For this reason, our goal is to focus on hospitality with entertainment embedded in it. Both of them go together. For our opening ceremony, what we did was to have different segments of entertainment. It was intended as a message to the public,” he says.

On Sunday, jazz lovers were treated to a rare jamboree at the poolside area of the hotel. The event, which featured the dreadlocked Afro jazz pianist, Dapo Dina and Praiz as main artistes, was intended to signal to the guests that the management meant business.

http://www.punchng.com/entertainment/arts-life/all-that-jazz-at-ibis/

Jazz band leader files $100m lawsuit against rap stars over 'illegal sampling'

On the rights track … T-Pain, one of the defendants named in Paul Batiste's suit. Photograph: Michael Caulfield/Getty Images North America

Sean Michaels
theguardian.com, Friday 23 August 2013 15.29 BST

The leader of a New Orleans jazz band has filed a $100m (£64m) lawsuit against some of rap's biggest names, accusing T-Pain, Rick Ross and DJ Khaled of illegally sampling their music. Paul Batiste alleges that the rappers and their labels "wrongfully copied nearly every song" in the Batiste Brothers Band's decades-old catalogue.

Lawyers for Batiste filed his lawsuit in US district court last week. Court papers also named the rappers Ace Hood and Pitbull, as well as almost every major hip-hop label and publishing company, including Cash Money, Fueled By Ramen, RCA Records, Universal, Sony/ATV, Def Jam, Zomba, WB Music and EMI Blackwood. According to documents obtained by AllHipHop, the defendants "have released an immense number of songs infringing upon [Batiste's] catalogue … poach[ing] beats, lyrics, melodies and chords".

Founded in 1976, the Batiste Brothers Band describe themselves as "a major influence on the current New Orleans jazz scene". Certainly the Batistes are one of Louisiana's most important musical families, and until recently one of the state's top arts schools bore the Batiste name. Batiste siblings and children have had connections to groups including the Meters, David and the Gladiators, George Clinton, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Wynton Marsalis and Prince.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/aug/23/lawsuit-sampling-paul-batiste-t-pain

Interview: Bev Kelly (Part 2)

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Few singers curl up on a song's lap like Bev Kelly. In the '50s she worked clubs and recorded several albums with pianist Pat Moran. She also recorded her first solo album in 1957. But just as she had attracted the attention of personal manager John Levy, Bev had a choice to make—her career or her son Greg. A close call in a car accident also made her think hard about her priorities. [Photo above: the Pat Moran Quartet in 1956; from left, John Whited, Pat Moran, Bev Kelly and John Doling, choreographed by Prince Spencer]

Bev had a cute singing style that combined power with hip phrasing. The ability to belt a tune and butter it up at the same time made her voice highly attractive. On top of these singing skills was the ability to bend notes, adding drama to any song. Weeks ago I wanted to tell her this and more so I shot her an email. Before her song had ended, Bev had emailed back. [Above photo of Bev Kelly today by Shawn Kelly]

In Part 2 of my conversation with Bev, the singer talks about her post-1959 career and why she didn't follow in the footsteps of Nancy Wilson... 

JazzWax: You and pianist Pat Moran worked with bassist Scott LaFaro?
Bev Kelly: Yes, in 1957 Scotty worked with us for a while before he went to Los Angeles in 1958. He was amazing even then.


JW: How did Beverly Kelly Sings come about?
BK: In 1957, Sidney Frey, who owned Audio Fidelity Records, heard us at the Cloister Inn in Chicago. He wanted to record me backed by Pat, Scotty and Gene Gammage on drums.


JW: You were starting to appear as a solo singer, yes?
BW: Yes. George Shearing [pictured] came in one night while I was at the Cloister Inn and said he wanted to introduce me to his manager and former bassist John Levy. We flew to New York to meet him. John managed me for a short period, but I had a conflict. I was torn over not spending enough time with my son. I used to pack my son Greg in my car with his bike and take him with me wherever I sang.


JW: Greg’s father wasn’t around?
BK: I married Chuck Kelly [third from left above] in 1953 and we soon separated for eight years before remarrying in 1961. We’ve been together ever since. But back then, after we separated in the early ‘50s, he moved to New York and lived on a hot dog a day just to play his horn. He loved Greg, but he wanted to do his thing. It was very difficult.


JW: Where else did you perform in New York?
BK: At the Village Vanguard with pianist Ramsey Lewis and Eldee Young on bass and Redd Holt on drums. I had already sung with the Ramsey Lewis Trio [pictured above] at the Cloister Inn in Chicago and after Pat and I split up, I didn’t want to sing with some group I didn’t know. After Ramsey I sang with pianist Eddie Higgins.


JW: How did Love Locked Out come together for Riverside?
BK: John Levy put me together with pianist-arranger Jimmy Jones. I asked Jimmy if I could pick the songs rather than the A&R guy, which was unusual for a singer. In most cases singers just did what they were told. Jimmy agreed and we sat together and picked songs. I was always looking for material that other people didn’t do. Jimmy was such a sweet, gentle man. He didn’t carry his ego on his shoulder. He was a true, wonderful musician. We sat down and we talked about how I felt. Show me what you mean. I’d tell him what I felt about the song. Then he’d run down the song.


JW: John also represented Nancy Wilson around this time.
BK: Yes. During my run at the Vanguard with Ramsey, John brought Nancy Wilson in to hear me. What John wanted to do with me is what he had done with Nancy—sign me to a major label and have me perform at supper clubs. [Pictured above, Bev Kelly in 1958]


JW: What happened when Nancy came in?
BK: He asked if I minded if Nancy [pictured] got up and sang. I had no problem with that. We are so different in how we do things. She had her own way on songs and I was way in another place. John Levy insisted I play a lot of different clubs, but I always had my son with me, making that tough.


JW: Wow, talk about being torn in two different directions.
BK: Greg had had too many bad experiences with terrible babysitters, and that’s when I realized I couldn’t be a singer and a mom. After the Vanguard, I sat down with John [pictured above]. He had some plans but I said I didn’t think I could do it.

JW: What did he say?
BK: He said, “You’re like a wild horse. I just want to put a little polish on you.” But in order to put a little polish on, I had to go on the road extensively, which I didn’t really want to do.


JW: Did you tour to promote Love Locked Out?
BK: Yes, in 1960. When I was back in Chicago with Greg, I decided to take a trip to promote it. Foote Higgins—Eddie’s first wife—went with me. I was still separated from Chuck at the time and I had Greg with me. Foote and I made it to Las Vegas where Chuck was appearing with the Modernaires. Greg hadn’t seen his dad so he stayed with him. Foote and I took Chuck’s little Renault to do a tour of the West Coast.

- See more at: http://www.jazzwax.com/2013/08/interview-bev-kelly-part-2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Jazzwax+%28JazzWax%29#sthash.kp0yUZ1J.dpuf

Used with permission by Marc Myers

You may not know the name Peter Calandra ....

Peter Calandra is presented here as an impressively capable composer, with broad musical horizons. An evident feeling of passion, love and commitment is spread throughout his music, as it can be clearly extracted from the accurate and heartfelt piano performances and of the overall musical ensemble. - Demetris Christodoulides - Music Web International

Calandra's writing is very deft, and in both scores he shows a strong sensitivity for subtle emotional conflicts and the fusion of contemporary jazz, fusion, and light orchestral. - Mark R. Hasan - kqek.com

Unknown Soldier's jazz score highlights bravery and the human social fracture in our society. - Dr. Ana Isabel Ordonez - jazzreview.com

You may not know the name Peter Calandra, but chances are you’ve heard his music. The New York City-based composer and keyboard player has scored 40 films, written over 2000 compositions for television broadcast, including 37 theme packages, and performed as a musician in the Broadway productions of Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, The Phantom Of The Opera, The Lion King, and Little Shop Of Horrors. Parallel to this, Calandra has released three albums of imaginative and lyrical instrumental music encompassing jazz, contemporary jazz, classical, and refined pop.

“I’ve always heard music in my head—there is like a radio in there playing new music all the time,” says Calandra.

Calandra has garnered acclaim for composing music for Jellysmoke, a film which won the Los Angeles Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, and Unknown Soldier, a film which won the Los Angeles and Philadelphia Film Festivals and also was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. He’s scored music for every major television network; currently, he has the themes for 15 shows airing on four different networks.

Calandra’s resume as a live performer includes first chair keyboard player positions for the Broadway productions of Miss Saigon (for 10 years), The Phantom Of The Opera, and The Lion King. He’s also toured nationally with Les Miserables and served as the pianist/conductor and musical director for the award-winning original NYC production of Little Shop of Horrors.

On the bandstand and in the studio, he’s worked with the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, NY Pops Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Susan Anton, Don Cherry, Aretha Franklin, Allen Ginsberg, Annie Golden, Donna McKechnie, Lillianne Montevecchi, and he spent 16 years as the keyboard player in the NYC-based Climax Band, the creative vehicle for artist and musician Larry Rivers.

His prismatic artistry allows him to authentically inhabit a multitude of genres, conjure up a diverse selection of moods and emotions, and work within a broad array of mediums. “I don’t try to define anything because I find that, as a creative person, when you put something in a box, you limit the creative flow,” Calandra says. In addition to his keyboard and compositional skills, he is also an accomplished guitarist and multifaceted studio engineer versed in the arts of tracking and mixing. Currently, he’s on the faculty at Queens College, CUNY teaching masters level classes on Pro Tools sequencing and music technology.

Somehow, Calandra also finds time for personal creativity. His 3 solo albums are wonderfully diverse, spanning world music, Christmas music, jazz, contemporary jazz, pop, and classical. The thread throughout is the lyrical expressiveness of the compositions and purity and purposefulness of the musicianship. His latest release, Ashokan Memories (PCM), is a solo piano album of bucolic sonic snapshots of the Catskills.

It’s a paean to a region in Ulster County, New York where Calandra and his wife own a summer home. “There is something spiritual about this part of New York that goes beyond what is visible to the eye. If you spend some time there and pay attention, you feel it,” Calandra says in the album’s liner notes.

Read more: http://cyberpr.biz/clients/3258

Lowcountry Jazz Fest to Honor George Duke

Posted by Adam Crisp (Editor) , August 24, 2013 at 04:49 AM

The fifth annual Low Country Jazz Festival opens Friday, August 30, at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center with performances on Saturday and Sunday. 

There will be a number of celebratory tributes, beginning with a happy look back at the hits made famous by the horns bands of the 70s.  Veteran saxophonists Dave Koz,Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright and Mindi Abair will perform hot new arrangements of songs by Earth, Wind & Fire; Blood, Sweat & Tears; Chicago and others in a tribute show that has been highly anticipated by smooth jazz fans.


What wasn’t anticipated was the sudden death of keyboardist George Duke, originally scheduled to headline Saturday’s performance along with guitarist Stanley Clarke. That evening now will feature soulful South African native, guitarist/vocalistJonathan Butler, whose Grace & Mercy CD debuted as Billboard’s #1 Contemporary Jazz Album in 2012.  Funky guitarist Nick Colionne also will perform and both will join with some surprise guests in a special celebration of Duke’s life and music to end the evening. Despite his absence, audiences can expect to leave the show with heart-warming musical memories of Duke.

Sunday features Chuck Loeb (of Fourplay), Jeff Lorber and Everette Harp, currently touring together as Jazz, Funk and Soulfollowed by cool jazz pianist Joe Sample and vocalist Randy Crawford. The day will start with a special jazz brunch featuring Swedish American keyboardist Jonathan Fritzén.

Read more: http://northcharleston.patch.com/groups/the-arts/p/lowcountry-jazz-fest-to-honor-george-duke

Medford's sounds of music

By Peg Quann Staff writer
Posted: Tuesday, August 27, 2013 5:45 pm | Updated: 12:00 am, Wed Aug 28, 2013.

MEDFORD — Through summer scholarships, a local jazz ensemble and music school have paid the way for 44 children to learn music, including two little girls who play a mean “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

On Wednesday night, the township children will show what they’ve learned during the last 10 weeks of lessons when they perform a 7 p.m. front-porch concert at the New Jersey School of Music on Union Street.

David Bermingham of Medford, a member of the M-Town Jazz Jam, said the impetus for the scholarships was to find a way to introduce young children to music after budget constraints forced the district to cut the elementary-level music program a few years ago.

The jazz ensemble invited young musicians to perform with them and sells CDs of the music to raise money for the South Jersey Music Education Partnership that the ensemble formed to fund the scholarships.

Other members of the ensemble are Dale Storer, Link Hansen and Garrett White, all of Medford, and Dave Ahern of Mount Laurel.

Renee Sutin, whose family owns the music studio, said it joined the ensemble in offering the scholarships for 10 weekly lessons over the summer. The children, in grades one through eight, are divided into about 15 classes learning band and orchestral instruments.

The music studio has been in existence since 1958, but the Sutins purchased it in 2001. It offers voice and music lessons on a variety of instruments.

Sutin said she used to say they offered lessons on every instrument, until someone asked her about bagpipes and accordions.

Read more: http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/medford-s-sounds-of-music/article_f13baa96-41b1-5d4c-a49a-e8e0edcca8dd.html

Champian Fulton Returns For Music@Japanalia Series

pianist and singer Champian Fulton plays Sept. 7 at Japanalia. (Valerie Cho / October 4, 2012)

By OWEN MCNALLY, Special To The Courant
The Hartford Courant, August 29, 2013

Aiming for another championship season of triumphant jazz, blues and cabaret performances, producer Dan Blow launches his fall/winter 2013 "Music@Japanalia Series" Sept. 7 with an encore concert by pianist and singer Champian Fulton.

Stretching from opening night to the season finale, which features the rising, young jazz vocalist Dana Lauren on Dec. 14, Blow serves more than a baker's dozen of deliciously diversified headliners at Japanalia Eiko, his West End venue at 11 Whitney St., Hartford.

Leading her quartet, Fulton puts an indelible jazz stamp on the opening night festivities with her singing, piano playing and intuitive grasp of knowing what grooves move an audience attracted by the opportunity to hear music up-close and personal as it is presented in the cozy cabaret ambience at Japanalia.

As she's shown on such recordings as her 2010 piano trio CD, "The Breeze and I," the young, New York-based performer has a neatly expressive singing voice whose hip rhythms and subtly bent melodic lines show signs of the great Dinah Washington, one of Fulton's childhood heroes.

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Like Diana Krall, Fulton isn't merely a singer who also happens to play piano. Her playing is authentic and swings in a vibrant style celebrating bebop modernism. As a young player with an awareness of and appreciation for the rich history of jazz piano, Fulton reflects her lifelong passion for such great modern jazz pianists as Wynton Kelly, Red Garland, Erroll Garner, Sonny Clark and Hampton Hawes, among others.

Blow, who's also a noted Hartford fashion designer, seems to have a special place in his producer's heart for vocalists of all kinds, including jazz singers who can weave beautiful melodic lines to tell compelling stories.

So, in addition to featuring Lauren in the season's grand finale, Blow also presents a mini-array of diverse divas including Nicole Zuraitis, another young singer of promise; along with such fine, seasoned masters of the craft as Roseanna Vitro, Shawnn Monteiro and June Bisantz, artists who pay exquisite attention to the holy trinity of style, delivery and selection of repertoire.

Vitro presents a program called "Jazzes Randy Newman and other classics"; Monteiro pays homage to Billie Holiday with her show, "Lady Sings the Blues"; and Bisantz pays tribute to two of her personal aesthetic heroes with her presentation, "It's Always You…and Sometimes Fred! Songs of Chet Baker and Fred Astaire."

Read more: http://www.courant.com/entertainment/music/hc-riffs-0829-20130829,0,5200319.story?track=rss

Interview: Bev Kelly (Part 1)

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

With the proliferation of travel in the 1950s, Chicago became a hotbed for jazz-pop singers and singing groups. The city was a national railroad hub, and passengers arriving from the East, West and South needed places to stay. As the number of hotels in Chicago grew, so did the number of hotel lounges and clubs and establishments that competed with them and handled the spillover. Singers were especially popular with weary business travelers, particularly hip singers with a swinging jazz-pop feel. Bev Kelly was one of them.

A classically trained pianist and vocalist, Bev, like most teens, spent her youth glued to records and the radio. Jazz appealed to her and she soon developed phrasing and intonation picked up from jazz musicians' instruments. When you listen to Bev's recordings today, you hear the flavor of the '50s, when better vocal groups and singers knew how to get their hearts into what they were doing.

What made Bev's journey in the '50s and '60s particularly tricky was that she had to care for her young son Greg after separating from her husband. When I spoke with her a few weeks ago, I realized immediately how this woman managed to keep from capsizing under the pressure. She has a joyous, upbeat spirit and easygoing personality that rejects quitting or compromising. [Pictured above: Bev Kelly with son Greg in 1958]

Here's Part 1 of my conversation with Bev, 79, a superb club vocalist and vocal harmony arranger...

JazzWax: Where were you born?
Bev Kelly: In Rittman, Ohio but I spent my early childhood in Troy. I have a brother who is four years younger. My dad, Donald Wolfe, started out flying airplanes and performing motorcycle stunts. He eventually became an aero technician and traveled all over as an airplane brake specialist. Eventually we moved to South Bend, Ind. In the late 1940s, my brother contracted polio and was in an iron lung for a year. He’s fine now but he’s had some disabilities.


JW: Where did you study?
BK: I began formal piano lessons when I was five years old and voice lessons at 14. After high school, I went to study at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music [pictured above] on a scholarship. I was there for a year when I decided to leave. 


JW: Why?
BK: I had begun singing locally in clubs and loved it. I went into Danny’s Bar in Cincinnati in 1953 after the owner contacted me. I wasn’t even old enough to be in a bar. The owner loved good music and liked the sound of my voice. I worked with the Teddy Raymore Trio for a year, six nights a week. I had a great education that went beyond jazz, since they were into show music and pop. [Pictured above: Bev Kelly in 1953]


JW: How did you come to jazz?
BK: When I was growing up, I loved listening to bands, particularly those led by Woody Herman, Claude Thornhill  [pictured above] and Billy Eckstine. I always listened to the horns. That’s what I preferred. I didn’t listen to other singers much. The more I got into the business the more musicians would take me aside and teach me things. One of my favorites was Miles Davis, who was awesome.


JW: When you dropped out of the conservatory, were you still on speaking terms with your parents?
BK: [Laughs] They didn’t give me much grief. But the people who had awarded me the scholarship were appalled. The pianist I had studied with up until age 16 had wanted me to become a classical pianist. But I was frustrated. No matter how hard I’d practice, it was never good enough for her. I was great at memorizing my music for a recital but when I got up on stage at age 9 or 10, I became so nervous, which wouldn’t please her. One time I went up on stage and froze. I started over three or four different times. It was like a nightmare. I ran down to my teacher hoping she would console me.

JW: Did she?
BK: No. She just crossed her arms and seethed, saying, “Look what you’ve done to me.” That ended my interest in becoming a classical pianist.


JW: When you listened to musicians, what did you focus on?
BK: Their sense of harmony and how they phrased their lines. That taught me to put myself in the position of the story the lyrics told. Which wasn't too hard. Music is just intensified speech. You’re just adding heart. Sometimes I’d have tears in my eyes when singing a song. As a singer, you put your experiences in there and those experiences change as you age. I recently listened to myself sing Sunday Kind of Love from 1956. I was just a kid. I have no idea where my voice came from.


JW: When did you meet pianist Pat Moran?
BK: Pat was at the conservatory a year before me. After I had my son Greg in 1954 and both Pat and I were out of school, we ended up in Dayton, Ohio, where we formed a duet called the Modernettes. I was separated from my husband Chuck Kelly, who sang with the Modernaires. Pat played piano and I played a snare drum while standing. We both sang. It was a nifty group and we worked a club there called the Latin Lounge.


JW: Did you remain in Dayton long?
BK: No. We became a hot act pretty fast and went to Chicago, where we met Freddy Williamson, who worked with Joe Glaser at Associated Booking. Freddy couldn’t believe how good we were and set us up at the Sutherland Hotel on the South Side. We worked there and at the Cloister Inn. Unfortunately we were never recorded. [Pictured above: Joe Glaser with Louis Armstrong]


JW: What was your next break?
BK: Steve Allen [pictured] discovered us. We went on the Tonight Show in 1954 or '55. He was astounded. I was just 21 and Pat was 20. I sang You and the Night and the Music with an upbeat tempo and Steve got a lot of response. That’s about the time when bassist John Doling and drummer Johnny Whited joined us, and we became the Pat Moran Quartet. I sang and they played and sang. We recorded The Pat Moran Quartet for Bethlehem in 1956 in Hollywood and recorded live for the label on Mel Torme's Songs for Any Taste.

JW: Did you make it to New York?
BK: Yes, in 1957. Freddy booked us into Birdland and we recorded Pat Moran While at Birdland.


JW: How did the quartet work?
BK: Pat would sit down and say, “Let’s try this song and that one.” She was oozing with talent. I’d then write tight harmony arrangements with Pat. We sang Embraceable You, and our innocence on there was interesting. We were just kids, and what we were doing came from the soul. We didn’t have an agenda, like “We’re going to be famous.” We took it one day at a time. We used to pack the Sutherland Hotel. Sometimes it would be so crowded we couldn’t leave the round stage above the bar. We’d just stay there between sets. [Photo above of pianist Pat Moran with Johnny Whited by Ray Avery/CTSImages.com]


JW: Who came in to hear you?
BK: Nat King Cole, Miles Davis, Joe Williams, Tony Bennett, Stan Kenton—everyone. In New York, the boxer Joe Louis used to hear us at Birdland. I stayed at a hotel around the corner and Joe always walked me home so no one bothered me. He’d walk me to my door. He was such a sweetheart. We were just neat kids who loved what we did. Miles was always very nice to me. He once came up to me at Birdland and said, “Hey, Bev, there’s a song you should sing—The Meaning of the Blues. I gave it a try.

Tomorrow, Bev talks about the superb albums under her own name.

JazzWax tracks: Here are Bev Kelly's early vocal harmony recordings from the mid-'50s...

• The Pat Moran Quartet (1956)
• Songs for Any Taste (1956)
• Pat Moran While at Birdland (1957)

JazzWax clips: Here's Bev singing lead vocal on I Should Care with the Pat Moran Quartet... 

I Should Care

Here's Sunday Kind of Love...

- See more at: http://www.jazzwax.com/2013/08/interview-bev-kelly-part-1.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Jazzwax+%28JazzWax%29#sthash.dMypJB73.dpuf
Used with permission by Marc Myers

Detroit Jazz Festival brings fans, players together

SUSAN WHITALL DETROIT NEWS MUSIC WRITER

Macy Gray's approach to jazz is 'organic and ... refreshing,' says the festival's artistic director. (Guiliano Bekor)


Just as summer fades, downtown Detroit heats up with the yearly confluence of music, fans and perfect weather that is the 2013 Detroit Jazz Festival, running Friday through Monday from the riverfront up to Campus Martius.

Collaboration and improvisation is a key part of jazz and during the festival, the interplay between musicians and fans as cool river breezes waft through the stages is magic.

It’s hard to say who gets more out of the experience, musician or listener.

“You’re looking for an experience to get you out of a routine,” says the festival’s artist in residence, Panamian pianist Danilo Perez, who kicks off the festival at 7 p.m. Friday on the Chase stage. “You want some joy in your life, or you have some questions. I say two words, ‘inspiration’ and ‘potential.’ Inspiration at the jazz festival because you come and hear all these things and for a minute, you think all the problems are solvable. For a day! The second potential thing is that you meet people. You may be sitting there, and all of a sudden meet someone you have never met, that creates a collaboration.

“Jazz is more powerful than other cultural experiences because it depends on that collaboration. A performance doesn’t go without the audience.”

Bass player Chris Brubeck returns to the festival with his brothers to take part in several tributes to their father, the late Dave Brubeck. Brubeck says his father loved playing the Detroit Jazz festival in part because he got the chance to move around the festival and see his sons’ group play, but also because of the way he connected with the audience.

Brubeck mentioned a prestigious jazz festival he just played where the audience seemed to be more concerned with conversing, than experiencing the music. During a long Hubert Laws solo, the decibel level of the chatter never went down. “They weren’t a listening audience. There wasn’t the level of respect there is in Detroit,” Brubeck says. “Detroit listens. What’s great about Detroit, they will be rowdy when you want them to be and really listen when you want them to.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130828/ENT01/308280011#ixzz2dGqp0MsS

NJJazzList.com Calendar

08/30 Fri Barbara Rose, Pianist & Vocalist at Molly Pitcher Inn, Red Bank 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Mixed,Cover: None, Celebrate the American Songbook with piano prodigy Barbara Rose. Barbara’s style as a vocalist ranges from Judy Garland to Janis Joplin. Her piano style is reminiscent of Thelonius Monk. Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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08/30 Fri Champian Fulton Solo Piano & Vocals at Italian Bistro Restaurant & Bar 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style:Vocal, Cover: None, $20 PREFIX MENU EVERY NIGHT!! except Sat. Nice Baby grand piano Full bar, Free parking lot John Bianculli Solo Fridays, JAZZ NIGHT Saturdays duos & trios Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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08/30 Fri Eric Mintel Quartet at Crossing Vineyards 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: None, Jazz & Wine Learn more , Hear samples , ()

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08/30 Fri Joel Perry Ed Fleischman JIM Pellegrino at Bamboo Grill 185 Madison, Basking Ridge, NJ 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: None, GREAT DATE PLACE OR FAMILY OR SINGLE HANG AT BAR OR TABLE EXCELLENT FOOD GREat food , bar and musc, romantic atmosphere and family dinning as well ! OUTDOOR VENUE Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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08/30 Fri Mauricio de Souza Trio at Moonstruck 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: None, Maurício de Souza Trio at Moonstruck. 6-10pm. 517 Lake Ave., Asbury Park, NJ. 732-988-0123. www.moonstrucknj.com. Mauricio de Souza Trio will be playing music from the new album, w/ arrangements of compositions by Tom Jobim, Bill Evans, Cedar Walton, Miles Davis, Benny Golson, Roberto Menescal, Sharel Cassity, Milton Nascimento, Keith Jarret, John Coltrane, and Freddie Hubbard among others. Maurício de Souza (drums), Alan Chaubert (trumpet AND piano), Charlie Dougherty (bass). Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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08/30 Fri OPEN JAZZ JAM and FISH FRU at MOORE'S LOUNGE, 189 Monticello Ave. jersey City 8:30 pm to 12:00 am Style: Jam Session, Cover: None, OPEN JAZZ JAM OPEN TO ALL MUSICIANS, VOCALISTS, SPOKEN WORD ARTISTS, DANCERS AND JAZZ JAZZ MUSIC LOVERS. NO COVER, NO MINIMUM DELICIOUS FISH SANDWICHES AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE.. , (201/551)

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08/30 Fri Powerhouse Big Band with vocalist Joe Ferrara at Ocean County Library Toms River Branch 6:30 pm to 8:30 am Style: Swing/Big Band, Cover: None, , (Unknown)

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08/31 Sat Barbara Rose, Pianist & Vocalist at Molly Pitcher Inn, Red Bank 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Mixed,Cover: None, Celebrate the American Songbook with piano prodigy Barbara Rose. Barbara’s style as a vocalist ranges from Judy Garland to Janis Joplin. Her piano style is reminiscent of Thelonius Monk. Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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08/31 Sat Bob Smith Organ Tri0 at Top Shelf Lounge 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Style: Contemporary/Post Bop,Cover: None, Jazz and Blues Musicians Welcome , (215/ )

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08/31 Sat Bob Smith Organ Trio at Top Shelf Lounge 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: None, Bob Smith, guitar/Tommy Pass, organ/Tommy Burrows, drums. Jazz and Blues . Musicians Welcome! , (Unknown)

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08/31 Sat Greg Murphy at Lorenzo's Restaurant 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: None, Great food, friendly staff, great atmosphere Learn more , Hear samples , (Other )

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08/31 Sat Jerry Topinka Quartet at The Mill at Spring Lake Heights 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Guitar, Cover:None, Join the area's most talented jazz & blues musicians each Saturday night at The Mill beginning at 8pm!Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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08/31 Sat Jim Jasion - Solo Piano and Vocals at Wizard Of Odds, 7601 L.Beach Blvd, LongBeachTwp NJ 10:30 am to 2:30 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: None, SJim Jasion-piano/vocals - Broadway Show Tunes - Great American Songbook - And All That Jazz! Learn more , (609/ )

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08/31 Sat Laura Hull Jazz Trio at Salt Creek Grille, Princeton 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Vocal, Cover: None, Join Laura with with her bandmates for a simply swinging evening of jazz at Salt Creek. Learn more , Hear samples , (609/ )

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08/31 Sat Orrin Evans at Candlelight Lounge 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm Style: Contemporary/Post Bop, Cover: over $10, Leading pianist in Jazz, Free Buffet Learn more , (609/ )

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08/31 Sat SJC Select Jam Session at The_Coffee_House (Clara Barton) 931 Amboy Ave, NJ 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: None, Straight-Ahead Jazz, Bossa, Great American Songbook Learn more , (732/848)

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08/31 Sat Swingadelic at Swing 46, 349 W. 46th St, New York, NY 9:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Swing/Big Band,Cover: None, Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

DYAD: Lou Caimano and Eric Olsen

“Dyad goes through the borders between Classical and Jazz with ease!”
- Paquito D’Rivera, Grammy Award winning saxophonist

Sometimes a simple comment made in passing becomes the seed that blossoms into a beautiful idea. Operatic soprano Pamela Olsen confided to her husband, pianist Eric Olsen, that Lou Caimano’s alto playing reminded her of an opera singer. This suggestion became the concept for Dyad Plays Puccini: re-imagining Puccini’s most beautiful classical compositions as contemporary jazz arrangements. With that, a new musical adventure for the Dyad partnership was born, fusing the two streams of classical and jazz music. In DYAD Plays Puccini, Olsen and Caimano bring ten timeless Puccini melodies into the 21^st century with grace, style, virtuosity, and originality.

Pure DYAD at its best.

Music is in the air as Dunnellon prepares for annual jazz festival

Jorge Ramos, maker of handcrafted guitars, on right, explains his technigue Aug. 3, 2013 at R&M Guitars on East Pennsylvania Avenue in Dunnellon. Dunnellon resident Harry Stephens, also repairs and restores guitars, talks to Ramos after showing him some of his recent finds. - 

John Singley/Correspondent

By Lora E. Ide Correspondent
Published: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 7:59 p.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, August 25, 2013 at 7:59 p.m.


With fall around the corner, music lovers are starting to think about cooler temperatures and getting ready for the return of a longtime local music festival — Jazz Up Dunnellon.

As if anticipating the moment, Adrian Blevins, a former construction worker, happened to have set up a roadside sale on a recent Saturday. He displayed about 10 guitars and a few amplifiers on a hill on U.S. 40 just outside the river city. When people would stop for a look, Blevins, a stone mason by trade, chatted about the enjoyment of singing, playing and listening to music.

“For a lot of people, music is a serious drive, or passion,” he said.

In Dunnellon, where planning and work for the Jazz Up festival, which is set for Oct. 12, is well underway, there are a lot of people who feel the same way about music. They include the mayor, Nathan Whitt, who for years provided the music for chamber of commerce banquets; and longtime professional singer and guitar player Jon Semmes, who entertains during the Singing River Tours he conducts out of the Angler’s Resort across U.S. 41 from City Hall.

Read more: http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013130829802&tc=ar

Wall Street Jazz Festival

Marian McPartland passed away August 20, 2013. Marian was a friend, champion and early pioneer, who paved the way for us women instrumentalists and vocalists in Jazz. We remember her for her wonderful musical spirit, and braveness, and consistency. Addressing the question of women in jazz, she said, "We're all in this together." We dedicate our 10th Anniversary Wall Street Jazz Festival to our dear compadre, Marian McPartland.

Manhattan Jazz Orchestra - Love Letters

David Matthews and Friends, a group of musicians associated with the MJO play this Victor Young favorite. Featuring Scott Wendholt Trumpet, Jim Pugh Trombone, George Young Tenor and Michael Moore Bass (visually identical but genetically unrelated, in fact George wears a black Fedora to avoid confusion) Terry Silverlight Drums, with Jon Werking Keyboards and Dave at the Piano.

Music, Marching... and all that Jazz

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY
TARA KERRIGAN CUCCHIARA

There is more to a school band than music.

The Leominster Jazz and Marching Bands shape disciplined, dedicated, and talented students. The band is a second family and a lifestyle.

As the last days of summer vacation creep by, Band Camps kicked into full swing. First there was Jazz Camp. For two weeks approximately 44 kids spent four hours per day learning music theory and putting it into practice. Robert Landry is one of the teachers running the camp each year. He explained that camp was better this year.

“Because we were sponsored, we did it right. We had a full staff and tee shirts for kids,” Landry said.

The Camp received funding from the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the Leominster Education Association. The funding allowed the program to include more instructors. Music teachers and professionals who worked with students this year include: Arthur Pierce, Lawrence Zuaro, Bernadette Marso, Pat Delaney, Taylor Landry, Mike Caudill, and Mark Marquis.

“Out of all the years, this was the best year,” commented the 18 year old, guitar sectional leader, Ryan Boyden. “Each teacher brings their specialty to the table. It’s not just one person’s point of view,” Ryan added. He is one of several alumni that returned to help lead the students during the two intense weeks.

Mike Caudill plays saxophone and is a composer. Two of his original arrangements, including the Samoset School Blues, were featured in the Camp Concert on Friday August 9th at Samoset School. This concert showcased the bands refined skills from the two week program.

“We are teaching theory and musicianship during these two weeks,” said Mike who also played saxophone and clarinet in several songs with the band. Mike’s job as an alumni was to mentor the woodwind players.

The camp has been running for eight years but this is the first year grant money has come through from the MTA and LEA. For Bernie Marso, MTA board of Directors member, this was a breakthrough.

“I love it-so much fun! These are great kids; they’re having a blast,” Bernie said with pride. “I’m so pleased the money came through for the program. As educators we are united for the arts and as a union we are working for the children.”

Harrison Carter is entering into the 8th grade and just finished his third year in camp on trumpet. He was excited to perform in the Friday morning concert for his parents, brothers, uncle and grandfather.

“With the extra teachers, we learn more,” Harrison reflected. “We have time to develop our skills. Camp helps me to develop the ability to play longer and harder notes and to listen to others and play together in an ensemble.”

A recent 2013 graduate, Cody Lagasse, admits that although he is a mentor now for the younger students, he learns from them as well.

Read more: http://m.leominsterchamp.com/news/2013-08-23/Front_Page/Music_Marching_and_all_that_Jazz.html

Nenad Vasilic: Seven

By NENAD GEORGIEVSKI, Published: August 27, 2013

In the long, well-intended history of aligning the spontaneity of jazz with sounds, rhythms and harmonies of various folk musics, the predicament lies in finding the linkages between two disparate idioms without sacrificing mutual integrity. Bassist and composer Nenad Vasilić tackles this issue in a very distinct way as he successfully marries the festive folk sounds of his native Nish (southern Serbia) with the jazz music to which he has devoted his life.

A resident of Vienna, Vasilić is one of the new breed for whom this mixture seem to come as naturally as breathing and, ever since he founded his own band in 1998, he has striven to mix straight-ahead jazz with the sinuous melodies of Serbian folk music. As a native of the south, Vasilić's harmonic tapestries and melodies seem to reflect the rugged geography and playful folk music for which his region is famous. He is ambitious as a player, bandleader, writer, and arranger—the whole nine yards.

Making these elements work together would be accomplishment enough, but what elevates Seven is the amount of variety that Vasilić introduces into this fairly tightly defined hybrid form. His writing is clever, darting between whirling unison lines and folksy melodies, and leaving plenty of space for the players to open up.

The opening "Budjenje" is a joyful and exhilarating tour-de-force of soulful twirling gypsy melodies,whose festive character and sinuous, playful lines are then transferred onto the second track, "Juzna." "Juzna" has an uplifting character played in mid-tempo, and it's here and on the following "Janina" where the balance between jazz and folk is disrupted in favor of the latter. "Janina" and "Za Grofa" are gentle ballads with heart rending gypsy harmonies, where saxophonist Vladimir Karparov excels by weaving memorable lines full of the melancholic yearning that is so typical for this music.

All but the "A Be Da Be Medley" are compositions written and arranged by Vasilić. "A Be Da Be" is an amalgamation of two traditional songs, "Nishka Banja" and "Udavija Se." It is an upbeat tune whose snaking melodies give it a typically festive wedding song character. Joining him on this endeavor, among others, is composer and pianist Bojan Zulfikarpašić (aka Bojan Z), someone well-versed in fusing music from his native Balkan into his own brilliant compositions.

He can also be heard on tracks such as "Mr. A.B.," and "Intro for Saban," a beautiful homage to singer Saban Bajramovic, one of the great gypsy singers—a legend in his own lifetime and also a Nish native. He does a wonderful job layering his Fender Rhodes, and displays lyrical generosity and clarity throughout. And while the horns give lots of color to these nine songs, it is the accordion that steals the show on the closing "No Problem," with its sinuous melodies and playful character. The music gently sways and pulses as accordionist Marko Zivadinovic swirls and twirls on his instrument.

Read more: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45069#.Uhyb-xbhEhQ


Nenad Vasilic Live in Porgy & Bess Vienna
Recorded in Porgy & Bess Vienna ,January 2011

Vladimir Karparov -Sax
Mario Vavti T-bone
Stefan Heckel - Piano
Marko Zivadinovic - Acc
Predo Peric - Drums ,Perc
Dusan Novakov - Drums ,Perc
Nenad Vasilic - Double Bass & Compositions

Athenaeum Jazz sets fall season

Acclaimed musicians Dave Douglas, Fred Hersch & Larry Goldings will perform with their respective bands at annual La Jolla concert series

Athenaeum Jazz at TSRI

When: Sept. 25 (Larry Goldings/Peter Bernstein/Bill Stewart); Oct. 9 (Dave Douglas Quintet); Nov. 11 (Fred Hersch Trio)

Where: The Scripps Research Institute Auditorium (formerly the Neurosciences Institute Auditorium), 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, La Jolla


By George Varga 4:49 P.M. - AUG. 26, 2013

Athenaeum Jazz at TSRI, the concert series known until last fall as Athenaeum Jazz at the Neurosciences Institute, will return to the same coastal La Jolla venue this fall for its 17th season. Under any name, its lineup should please discerning fans of music that showcases instrumental skill and improvisational dexterity.

The season opens with a Sept. 25 performance by the trio of organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart. Goldings rose to prominence playing in the band of former James Brown saxophonist Maceo Parker and is a longtime member of singer-songwriter James Taylor's band. He also has numerous jazz credits, including as a member of Trio Beyond, which teams him with drum legend Jack DeJohnette and top guitarist John Scofield.

The series continues with trumpet star Dave Douglas and his quintet, which features fast-rising Australian bass star Linda Oh and drummer Rudy Royston, along with pianist Bobby Avey and award-winning tenor saxophonist Jon Irabagon, who recorded his first album with Stan getz's former rhythm section and also plays in the genre-leaping band Mostly Other People Do The Killing. Douglas has been honored as the Jazz Artist of the Year and Trumpet Player of the Year by both JazzTimes and DownBeat magazines.

The series concludes with a Nov. 11 concert by veteran pianist Fred Hersch and his trio, which features bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson. Hersch, who is on the faculty at the New England Conservatory of Music, has made more than three dozen albums as a leader or co-leader and has privately taught such top pianists as Brad Mehldau and Ethan Iverson.

For the past 20 years he has also devoted himself to working as a spokesman and raising funds for AIDS-related organizations. He has had the H.I.V. virus since the early 1990s and, in 2008, was struck by AIDS-related dementia and a near-complete loss of motor function in his hands. Almost miraculously, he made a full recovery by 1010 and has made six albums in the past three years alone.
Read more: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/26/athenaeum-jazz-announces-fall-season/

Bill Haley and Comets - See you later alligator

Melissa Laveaux • Postman (Official)

Weekend Wax Bits

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

The song has ended. A discarded piano mechanism just moments before a New York City sanitation crew pitched it into a garbage truck on April 17 at 7 a.m. [photo by Marc Myers].

Earth, Wind & Miles. In today's Wall Street Journal (go here or please buy the paper), I spoke with Philip Bailey of Earth, Wind & Fire. His all-time favorite song? Blue in Green by Davis and Bill Evans. Philip said much of his vocal intonation and phrasing came from Davis.

Cedar Walton. On Tuesday I was reading The New York Times obituary of Cedar Walton by William Yardley when I came across a paragraph in the third column quoting my 2009 interview with Cedar (posted for the first time on Monday) and crediting JazzWax and me. Many thanks to The Times and William Yardley. Go here to read.

More Fred Astaire. Painter Melissa Meyer sent along a fascinating clip of Fred Astaire performing I Wanna Be a Dancing Man from The Belle of New York (1952). Apparently, the studio wasn't happy with the first version that Astaire filmed because he wasn't in natty enough attire. So they re-shot it. The clip shows how well rehearsed Astaire was by placing the two scenes next to each other. And have a look at Melissa's work here.

Marian McPartland, with Billy Taylor and George Shearing, courtesy of Bret Primack, the Jazz Video Guy. You learn something here in this clip every 30 seconds...

Marian McPartland documentary. In Good Time, The Piano Jazz of Marian McPartland, from Films by Huey,  documents the late pianist's life and career. Huey had great access. To purchase the DVD. go here. Here's the trailer (you may need to use Safari or Chrome)...

  

Joe Alterman and Houston Person. Pianist Joe Alterman sent along a few video clips of his latest Blue Note gig in New York. Here's one of them...   

Wayne Shorter radio. On Sunday, Aug. 25, saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter will turn 80 and WKCR in New York will present a 34-hour special radio broadcast in the saxophonist's honor. The show will begin at 2 p.m. (EDT). Tune in on your computer from anywhere in the world here.

Carol Sloane radio. Superb jazz vocalist Carol Sloane will be chatting with WRHU-New York radio host John Bohannan during his regular jazz program. You can hear their conversation on Monday at 3 p.m. (EDT) from anywhere in the world by going here. And here's Carol in 1959 with Chuck Wayne on guitar...

Charlie Parker/Lester Young Birthday Broadcast. Next week (Tuesday-Thursday), WKCR in New York will present its annual Charlie Parker and Lester Young radio special [both pictured above, with Parker at top]. For 72 hours, around the clock, the station and its whip-smart on-air personalities (including my boy "Symphony" Sid Gribetz) will spin Parker's and Young's recordings and offer insights into two of jazz's most influential saxophone stalwarts. Whether you know a little or a lot about them, this annual broadcast is an enormous education and essential listening. Tune in on your computer from anywhere in the world by going here.

CD discoveries of the week. Ron Carter's Cocktails at the Cotton Club (Somethin' Else) was recorded live in Japan last December. The trio—with Russell Malone on guitar and Donald Vega on piano—operates without a drummer, which gives the group a gentle, embracing sound. Thanks to Ron's warm, woody bass and rhythmic time-keeping and Malone's tight strumming, a set of drums was unnecessary in support of Vega—a lovely, lyrical player. Much of the album is devoted to bossa treatments of songs you know. Sample Satin Doll and Soft Winds.

- See more at: http://www.jazzwax.com/2013/08/weekend-wax-bits-2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Jazzwax+%28JazzWax%29#sthash.fIWDPBbH.dpuf
Used with permission by Marc Myers