Modern Art Orchestra & Dave Liebman

Balassi Institute

Thursday, October 2, 2014 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EDT)

New York, NY

Jazz greats Dave Liebman and Kornel Fekete-Kovacs, bandleader for big band extraordinaire Modern Art Orchestra (Hungary), reunite at Symphony Space for an adventurous musical encounter, taking the audience on a voyage from Bartok to the heartland of contemporary jazz.


During the past decade, Modern Art Orchestra has gained the status of an internationally renowned chamber orchestra that is engaged in many genres, but most noted for its fusion of big band orchestration with contemporary jazz and contemporary classical music. It has had countless successful projects together with the world’s leading musicians from Ennio Morricone, Bob Mintzer, Dave Liebman, Kurt Elling or Wallace Roney through Rhoda Scott, Julian Joseph, Mike Garson or Silje Neergard to Mezzoforte, New York Voices or Harlem Gospel Choir, and boast of over 15 hours of music composed for MAO, including pieces by Péter Eötvös.

After their tour on the West Coast, Modern Art Orchestra will perform in New York City along with Dave Liebman. Liebman is considered a renaissance man in contemporary music. He has played with many of the masters and among others was awarded with NEA Jazz Masters and JEN Legends of Jazz.

read more: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/modern-art-orchestra-dave-liebman-tickets-13030900775?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventurl_text

5 CD Discoveries of the Week

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

This week, a clutch of new favorites featuring free jazz, orchestral jazz, Latin jazz, jazz vocals and blues-rock. I'll try to squeeze in another roundup of favorites in the days ahead...

Charles Lloyd, Manhattan Stories (Resonance). In 1965, Charles Lloyd teamed with guitarist Gábor Szabó, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Pete La Roca for a free-jazz concert at Judson Hall, which is attached to the Judson Memorial Church in New York's Greenwich Village. This newly discovered recording joins a second disc featuring a gig by the same group in '65 at Slugs on New York's Lower East Side. The music is energetic, poetic and astonishing in a year crowded with revolutionary albums from rock, folk and jazz artists. The Lloyd group also managed to break new ground at the height of the free jazz movement.

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, OverTime: Music of Bob Brookmeyer (Planet Arts). Bob Brookmeyer was best known for his valve trombone playing, but he also was a mighty composer-arranger whose orchestral works were featured during his tenure in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band and later incarnations of the band. Here, today's all-star Vanguard band takes on Bob's spirited works, from The Big Time to At the Corner of Ralph and Gary. The thrashing, streamlined sound reminds of me of my chats with Bob on arranging and conducting (see my multipart JazzWax interview with Bob here).

Sarah Moule, Songs From the Foating World (Ram). In 1994, lyricist Fran Landesman (Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most) met British composer Simon Wallace and collaborated with him on nearly 300 songs until her death in 2011. Vocalist Sarah Moule takes on 10 of those late-period ballad works with great affection here. She deploys a warm, rich sound on selections while retaining in her voice Landesman's word-play whimsy. Sample If You Believe That.

Afro Bop Alliance, Angel Eyes (Zoho). This Latin-jazz album sustains a special punch and groove throughout. There are jazz standards (This Is for Albert, Angel Eyes and Nature Boy) as well as originals. The septet from Annapolis, Md., tours largely in the Mid-Atlantic region of the States, unleashing chunky beats, jazz horns and shrewd hooks. Instantly addictive.

Hurricane Ruth, Born on the River. Searing vvocalist Hurricane Ruth LaMaster is backed by a blues-rock trio that features lead guitarist David Lumsden, bassist Gary Davis and drummer Jim Engel. The band from south-central Illinois handles the 11 originals like a Harley-Davidson peeling out. LaMaster's powerful delivery and Lumsden's wailing guitar sell each song with plenty of vinegar and salt.

Used with permission by Marc Myers

All Nite Soul

The 44th ALL NITE SOUL at Saint Peter's Church is held in honor of guitarist Gene Bertoncini. On Sunday, October 12 at 5 p.m., Jazz Vespers begins with trumpeter Terell Stafford featuring Pat Bianchi (organ) and Chris Beck (drums). All Nite Soul goes into full swing at 7 p.m. with over 80 musicians performing!

Gene Bertoncini is one of the pre-eminent jazz guitarists active today. His fluid technique and lyricism have won him international praise and accolades as the "Segovia of jazz." An eloquent and versatile improviser, Mr. Bertoncini has been heard with an extraordinary range of jazz greats, including performances and recordings with Wayne Shorter, Paul Desmond, Benny Goodman, Buddy Rich, and Hubert Laws among others, as well as such distinguished singers as Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Nancy Wilson, Vic Damone and Edye Gorme. 

read more: http://www.saintpeters.org/events/detail/1500/details/

Liven Up Meetings And Brainstorming Sessions With Jazz Principles

Jazz music is all about improvisation and flow. Adding some of Jazz’s musical principles can turn a boring checklist overview into an energetic, idea-bouncing meeting.

PATRICK ALLAN 25 SEPTEMBER 2014 1:00 PM
Picture: Andrew Lorien.
When Frank Barrett originally contributed his ideas about the jazz heuristic for improvisational organisations, he noted the element of “soloing and comping” among jazz musicians. You see this regularly in a jazz set during Trading 4′s- where the drummer trades solos with other instrumentalists in the band. Deliberately going back and forth with ideas and building on each one is a fun and conscientious way of saying “Yes and…” to a colleague rather than knocking down their ideas. Use the jazz art form as inspiration to provoke and transfer ideas to new, unexplored realms.

read more: http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2014/09/liven-up-meetings-and-brainstorming-sessions-with-jazz-principles/

2014 Benefit Concert Honoring Dorthaan Kirk, Tuesday, October 7

2014 Benefit Concert Honoring Dorthaan Kirk, Tuesday, October 7, 6:30pm at 

Mary Cary Flagler Hall at The DiMenna Center

Eli Yamin and Evan Christopher

Arturo O'Farrill and The Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra

There is no such thing as dynasties in jazz, or even in New York music circles. The fortunate truth is that if you can’t deliver, it doesn’t matter who your daddy is. Choosing to perform your father's music is solely an artistic decision.

Asking a famous musician for career advice, I was told “don’t play your daddy’s music”. I disagree; an artist has one responsibility, to tell the truth. And the truth is that Chico was one of the greats, hasn’t quite gotten his due, and alongside my own musical explorations I will always continue to perform the canon of Afro Cuban jazz’s true genius.

This led to strain. Leading my own orchestra, Chico’s orchestra, my small ensembles, my solo work, running a performance and education non- profit (the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance), teaching, touring, raising a family, and well, just being a human was ultimately too much. So on a beautiful, early summer night in 2011, after fifteen years in the finest jazz nightclub in New York and ten years after the passing of my father, The Chico O’Farrill Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra gave its final performance.

I remember the first performance well. It was a freezing cold night and the line stretched down the block. My sons were toddlers and my father was in good health. And then time took its toll and many things transpired, my kids became men, my projects took off and my father aged. I watched band members become husbands and fathers, we saw audiences become familiar faces, and Birdland staff become family. And then one day my father joined the ancestors. 

This does not mean the end of Chico’s music, The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra continues to perform his works to this day. But the primary motive in Chico’s aesthetic was to keep the art moving forward. And that is what I am all about.

He was not a replicator, writing predictably the musical equivalent of wallpaper. He wrote from the heart, to challenge and create. And so it is fitting that my work with the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra include the master in its repertoire. His music was the foundation for my philosophy. Long live the musical brilliance of my father, el Maestro, Chico O’Farrill.
read more: http://www.zohomusic.com/cds_detail.php?cds_id=126

Dynamic Duo: Hendrik Meurkens & Misha Tsiganov - Junity

What is Junity? Hendrik Meurkens, the celebrated harmonica master, explains: “It’s a play on words between the English word unity, which means the state of being united, and the Brazilian word junto, which means together.” The title is appropriate because, Meurkens, a musician known for his superb artistry and his quick wit, and Misha Tsiganov, a Russian pianist of remarkable proficiency, have been collaborating for nearly a decade. To purchase: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hendrikmeurk...

http://www.hendrikmeukens.com
http://www.mishajazzmusic.com

Roseanna Vitro: Clarity Album Release

Roseanna Vitro sings with flawless intonation, pitch-perfect flowing lines and the ability to make the meaning of a song’s lyrics resonate. She exudes plenty of soul and exuberant delight in the storytelling elements of every song she sings. - Owen McNally, Hartford Courant 2013

Grammy-nominated vocalist ROSEANNA VITRO debuts “CLARITY - MUSIC OF CLARE FISCHER,” premiering lyric versions of the composer's outstanding melodies on a new CD from Random Act Records. As a follow-up to her widely-acclaimed project, "The Music of Randy Newman,"  "CLARITY," finds Ms. Vitro focusing her talents on a pioneering composer of renown. Sara Caswell's violin soars with passion over pianist Mark Soskin's ingenious arrangements over Latin rhythms and jazz.
read more: http://www.publictheater.org/en/Tickets/Calendar/PlayDetailsCollection/Joes-Pub/2014/R/Roseanna-Vitro/

Nickel Fall 2014 Series Announced!

From: http://www.nojc.org/nickel

The Mingus Big Band, Support: The Ronnie Scotts All Stars

"The most exhilerating night of the year" - Clive Davis, The Times, 2012

"with a huge repertoire the band pride themselves on playing a different set every night – so no two shows are ever the same!"

"One of the jazz world's great legacy orchestras - great, because it doesn't just clone the music of its original inspiration but interprets it in its own ways". - John Fordham, The Guardian - 2012.

“Seeing the Mingus Big Band is always one of the most profound pleasures live jazz has to offer” - LondonJazz

The Mingus Big Band celebrates the music of composer/bassist Charles Mingus, who died in 1979. Under the artistic direction of Sue Mingus, this 14-piece band performed Thursday nights from 1991 to 2004 at Fez under Time Cafe in New York City. It maintained weekly residencies in the city from May 2004 until October 2008, when it began “Mingus Mondays” at Jazz Standard where it alternates with the Mingus Orchestra and Mingus Dynasty.

The Mingus Big Band tours extensively in the United States and abroad, and has ten recordings to its credit, seven of which have been nominated for Grammys.

LINEUP CONFIRMED appearing in the 14-piece band

Trumpets: Lew Soloff, Philip Harper, Alex Norris

Saxophones: Douglas Yates, Brandon Wright, Wayne Escoffery, Scott Robinson, Ronnie Cuber

Trombones: Conrad Herwig, Andy Hunter, David Taylor

Drums: Donald Edwards
            
Bass: Michael Richmond


Piano: David Kikoski

Coleman Hawkins + Willie Smith

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Back in 1958, Coleman Hawkins appeared on TV backed only by Willie "The Lion" Smith to play Indian Summer. He was on Art Ford's Jazz Party, a TV series on WNTA-TV in New York City that aired on Thursdays at 9 p.m. from May 8 to December 25, 1958. A big thanks to John Cooper for sending along the link...

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Interview: Herb Alpert

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

In today's Arena section of The Wall Street Journal, I interview Herb Alpert on his new album, In the Mood, as well as a wide range of other topics (go here). Many of his answers may come as a surprise, including the artist who had the biggest influence on him when he was starting out in the late 1950s, where he found the sound of a crowd yelling "Ole!" for The Lonely Bull, his first hit, and why there's a two second gap between his vocal and trumpet solo on This Guy's in Love With You.

Herb is the King of Casual and a fascinating guy, both as a musician-singer and entrepreneur. He's open, candid and very laid back. In preparation for the interview and while writing, I listened to all of Herb's albums with the Tijuana Brass. Those tight horns and mariachi-flavored pop tunes really get into your blood system.

Here are questions and answers that I nipped from the published interview due to space:

What did you learn in your brief acting career in the mid-1950s? 
That I wasn’t passionate about it. I was discovered in a gym. A guy I met fixed me up at Paramount and I took acting lessons, which taught me how to get in touch with my feelings. I studied with Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Corey, who were plugged into that concept. The experience taught me about my naturalness, which I used later when performing on stage and appearing on TV. As an artist, the key is to stay real. When you’re fake or you overthink things, you’re playing a role and audiences sense the artificiality.

What was the turning point for the Tijuana Brass?
After The Lonely Bull, the next album did fine but wasn’t noteworthy. The third album, South of the Border in ‘64, was the charm. I remember being in the control room late at night mixing tracks for Mexican Shuffle when the door opened. It was the cleaning lady. She said, “Honey, what’s that playing there?” The minute she said that, I knew we had something. Then the Clark Co. used Mexican Shuffle for its Teaberry gum TV ad. The song was on the album and kids bought it.

Ever worry that a faux Mexican band might ruffle feathers?
I felt a bit uncomfortable about it. But instead of feeding into it, I just played myself. People sort of figured out it was just a gimmick.

Did everything come easily in the ‘60s?
Hardly. Thanks to the Tijuana Brass, we had enough cash to survive, but that was about it. With A&M, everything we earned went back into the business. The turning point was when we picked up the We Five’s You Were on My Mind in 1965. From that point on A&M was considered a soft-rock, easy listening label and we did well. But by the late ‘60s, we started signing harder British rock artists like Joe Cocker and Procol Harum.


How were you able to balance co-running a label and recording hit albums?
Most success comes from hiring the right people. The truth is I wasn’t a businessman. I never had that chip. I just surrounded myself with people who could do things I couldn’t or didn’t choose to do. Jerry [Moss] was a perfect partner. We sat right next door to each other and communicated about everything—business and creative. [Above, Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss]


A slight pause also was used on the Carpenters’ (They Long to Be) Close to You in 1970. Is that you playing trumpet?
Burt gave me the song after This Guy’s in Love With Youwent to No. 1. But when I recorded it, engineer Larry Levine looked at me and said, “You sound terrible.” I wasn’t happy with it either. So when we signed the Carpenters in ‘69, Jerry [Moss] and I thought it would be good for them. I was on the road when they recorded, so studio trumpeter Chuck Findley played the solo in my style.  

Here's Herb's This Guy's in Love With You, which went to No. 1 in 1968...

What convinced you to sign the Police to A&M?
It was part of out Brit-buying phase. I had heard them at L.A.’s Whiskey Au Go Go and thought they were really good. They were making sounds that were full and beautiful. Of course, Sting is an unusual guy and still brilliant and a gentleman.

Also in today's Wall Street Journal, you'll find my "House Call" interview for the Mansion section with actor Steve Guttenberg on growing up in New York's Flushing section of Queens (go here). You'll split your sides when you hear who visited upstairs and what Steve thought at the time. [Photo of Steve Guttenberg in Queens by Mackenzie Stroh for The Wall Street Journal]

Also for today's Arena section, I wrote a preview of a terrific new four-CD box set—The Soul of Designer Records (Big Legal Mess), which features 101 tracks that appeared on Memphis's Designer gospel label (go here). Talk about the roots of soul. What's fascinating is that Designer's owner and the house musicians were all white while the artists were black. [Above, the Fantastic Gospel Travelers, who recorded for Designer]

And for the "Playlist" column this weekend (go here), I spoke to British chef Jamie Oliver about a favorite song that was popular when he was courting his wife back in the 1990s. Jamie has a new book out—Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food: The Ultimate Weekend Cookbook(Ecco)

Used with permission by Marc Myers

A man of the world

Boon Chan - The Straits Times
Saturday, Sep 27, 2014

Singer-songwriter Khalil Fong was born in Hawaii, moved with his family to Shanghai at the age of six, and then eventually to Hong Kong.
In a way, traces of that peripatetic past can be found in his music.

Beginning from his debut Mandarin album Soul Boy (2005), he has drawn on a dizzying array of music influences from R&B, jazz, pop, rock, funk and, of course, soul. His latest album, Dangerous World (2014), was even influenced by hip-hop.
Speaking in English over the telephone from Hong Kong, he says: "I got used to adapting to different cultures at a young age. The world citizen perspective is also deeply ingrained in my religious beliefs."

Fong, 31, is Baha'i - the religion emphasises the spiritual unity of all mankind.
He adds: "I don't separate music into genres. I could listen to the poppiest pop there is as well as the odd-sounding indie stuff and I like it the same, depending on my mood. I like all of it and I try to have that attitude in my music, so hopefully my fans get a bit of that music appreciation mentality as well."

- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/showbiz/man-world#sthash.481J2HQ7.dpuf

Jim Fiegen

jim is a jazz guitarist, pedal steel guitarist, composer of ambient soundtrack music and jazz tunes, as well as a live performer, located in San Diego County, CA.

An interesting mixture of ambient and jazz music for soundtracks and ambient environments. Featuring electronic and classical elements including pedal steel and electric guitar. Inspired by the novel "Angelmaker" by Nick Harkaway.

Zachary - Emily Saunders

From the album "Cotton Skies". Written, arranged and produced by Emily Saunders. Recorded at Eastcote Studios, London and mixed/mastered by Chris Lewis.
Musicians:
Emily Saunders (voice),
Nick Walters (trumpet),
Byron Wallen (trumpet),
Bruno Heinen (piano),
Larry Bartley (bass),
Jon Scott (drums).

Roberta Donnay "Swing And Sway"

"Swing And Sway" is part of a series of videos in connection with Roberta Donnay's November 13, 2012 release, A Little Sugar. This impeccably produced bit of confection is a hip tribute to Donnay's favorite Prohibition Era women singers, and will mark her debut on the rising New York City based Motéma Music label. 

Directed by Eddy Bee
Roberta Donnay on Motema: http://motema.com/artist/roberta-donnay
Connect to Roberta on Facebook: http://ow.ly/euKmt 
and Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/robertadonnay

Interview: Tom Robbins

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Tom Robbins is a fabulous novelist whose jazz-like writing style grabs you and won't let go. In today's Wall Street Journal (go here), I interview Tom about his exotic, colorful house north of Seattle that makes great use of circus imagery and is known fondly as Villa de Jungle Girl. Tom's latest book is a memoir—Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life. Just order it here and read. Trust me on this one.[Above, Tom Robbins with his wife, Alexa, and dog, Blini. Photo by Wiqan Ang for The Wall Street Journal]

Below is an excerpt...

"Despite the brevity of our stay in Urbanna, [Virginia], the place left a mark on me that persists to this day Fresh from pre-Great Society, pre-network-TV Appalachia, I spoke with an accent that would have made the cast of The Beverly Hillbillies sound like the Royal Academy performing King Lear. There's no way I can accurately reproduce on paper the way I pronounced, for example, words such as 'night' or 'ice' or 'grass,' although I can report that I said 'far' for 'fire' and 'hain't' for 'ain't,' which could be a bit confusing, since back in Blowing Rock, [N.C.], we called a ghost a "haint." Imagine someone exclaiming, 'Looky thar in the winder! Hain't that a haint?'

"Naturally, the pupils at my new school made fun of the way I talked: kids are blunt in their reaction to deviation from their particular social norms. Alas, I was mocked by Urbanna's adults, as well. Once when Mother sent me to the store to buy a pound of sliced ham for supper, the butcher stared at me incomprehensibly, then demanded I repeat my order again and again. 'Slyced hame,' I kept saying, pronouncing 'ham' as if it rhymed with 'came' or 'lame.' Eventually my order was filled, though not before I had to point at what I wanted and everyone in the store enjoyed a laugh at my expense.

"Spurred by ridicule, I soon commenced to devote much time and effort to altering my manner of speech, practicing off and on throughout the day, laboring to talk as if I were somehow indigenous to tidewater Virginia. The results were not pretty. Sure, 'hain't' was no longer in my vocabulary and I could now order flesh of the pig without embarrassment, but overall what happened was that my elocution flattened out permanently into a kind of deflated Okie drawl.

"Today, my voice sounds as if it's been strained through Davey Crockett's underwear. While to my mind's ear, I might sound like an Oxford-educated intellectual, I have only to hear myself on tape to realize that in actuality mine is the voice of a can of cheap dog food—if a can of cheap dog food could speak. It's a Skippy voice. Not even that, a generic brand with a plain brown label. Thanks, at least in part to the jeerers and sneeres of Urbanna, I'm going through life with a voice that might be visualized as something scraped off the kitchen floor of a fast-food restaurant by a pimply teenage dishwasher at closing time on a Friday night. Or else that little pile of smashed potato chips left of the rubberized seat cushion of a motorized wheelchair belonging to a 365-pound retired female professional wrestler named Grandma Moses. Or else...well, you get the picture."

Used with permission by Marc Myers

The Urban Renewal Project – “We Big Tonight”

We’re excited to bring you the exclusive unveiling of the brand new music video for “We Big Tonight,” a bumping hip-hop tune featuring The Urban Renewal Project‘s big horn section and freestyle rapper Elmer Demond, featuring a soulful vocal hook by Jazz singer Aubrey Logan.

Songwriter-arranger-saxophonist R.W. Enoch on the song:

“We really wanted to recreate the sound of modern hip-hop music using our traditional jazz instrumentation, and do it in a way that was still totally bangin’—where you’d still want to hear it through the subs in your car or out at the club. The video matches the tone of the music and lyrics in the song. It’s set at an underground hip-hop show, where the crowd is taking a few tropes from rap-culture and turning them on their ear.”

read more: http://groundsounds.com/2014/09/23/urban-renewal-project/

Meredith d'Ambrosio on Jackie Cain

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

When Jackie Cain died last week, I immediately thought of jazz singer-pianist Meredith d'Ambrosio [above]. Meredith also has an intimate, conversational vocal style and, like Jackie, has an ear for great little-known songs that match her personality perfectly. Meredith and I chat often, so I asked her for a few recollections on Jackie (and Roy). Here's what Meredith sent along...

"From the moment I heard Jackie and Roy's Euphoria on Symphony Sid's jazz show on Boston radio in the early 1950s, I was hooked. And amazed. I was 11 years old then and their voices melded together in a hip and elegant way. I was impressed by Roy's piano. If it weren't for Roy's chords and his smooth jazz voice merging with Jackie's, I think their famous sound might not have happened.

"[Pianist] Roger Kellaway and I listened to their recordings for hours in the late 1950s and loved them so much that we formed our own similar duo for a while. We tried to capture their empathy but chose different songs. Of course, no singing duos could ever come close to their sound. Roger had a Chet Baker quality to his voice, similar to Roy's, though the range of my voice wasn't an octave away from Roger's the way Jackie's was from Roy's. We learned a lot though. I was 17 and Roger was 18.

"If not for Jackie and Roy, Roger and I would never have experimented with this kind of singing. They taught us the possibilities. It was great fun. Jackie's voice was right on key. She had the voice of an angel. Her sound was perfect. What a wonderful voice. She was one of my most important teachers.

"Fred Bouchard, an excellent Boston jazz critic, introduced me to Jackie and Roy in 1974. We had lunch at the famous Jack & Marian's of Coolidge Corner, a New York-style deli in Brookline, Mass. What a thrill it was to finally meet those two. We became close friends. When I met [pianist and future husband] Eddie Higgins in 1987, I learned that he and Jackie and Roy were close friends when they were all in Chicago.

"Jackie was an excellent cook. When I visited her at her beautiful home in Montclair, N.J., she made me a delicious brunch. Food was very important to her and Roy. One day in the 1990s, after Eddie and I had married, they came to our home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., for lunch, Roy walked into the living room with sheet music in his hand. It was his music toStoppin' the Clock. He read my mind. I was preparing for my next album [Out of Nowhere] and had planned to record that song but wasn't sure of the chords. I was relieved to have the music!

"When Eddie and I played at Trumpets in New Jersey, Jackie and Roy came to see us. Roy took me aside after our first set. He suggested that when Eddie played his solo, I should refrain from moving around to avoid distracting the audience. I learned something that night that I've never forgotten. I was lucky to know such generous, sweet and wonderful friends. I miss them terribly." [Photo above of Eddie Higgins and Meredith d'Ambrosio, photographed by Ruth Williams]

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Meredith d'Ambrosio's albums at iTunes and Amazon. Here latest is By Myself (Sunnyside)here. You'll also find her paintings, which grace the covers of her albums, here.

JazzWax note: You can read my five-part interview with Meredith here (this is Part 1; for the additional parts, look above the red date at the top for the next link). [Photo above of Meredith d'Ambrosio and Eddie Higgins]

JazzWax clips: Here's Meredith singing Roy Kral's Stoppin' the Clock from her album Out of Nowhere (1998), with Lee Musiker (p), Jay Leonhart (b) and Terry Clarke ...

Stoppin' the Clock

Here's Meredith playing and singing Johnny Mandel's The Shining Sea with Gene Bertoncini on guitar from Silent Passion (1996)...

The Shining Sea

Here's Meredith singing and playing Love Is a Simple Thingfrom Another Time (1981)...

Love Is a Simple Thing

Here's Meredith singing I Should Care from Shadowland(1992) with  Blair Tindall (english hrn,oboe), Ron Kozak (b-cl,fl), Eddie Higgins (p), Johnny Frigo (vln), Erik Friedlander (cello), Jay Leonhart (b) and Ben Riley (d)...

I Should Care

And here's Meredith singing Giant Steps with Harold Danko (p) and Kevin Eubanks (g), from It's Your Dance (1985)...

Giant Steps

Used with permission by Marc Myers

All For You My Heart and Soul - Lauren Hooker & Friends

Well, everything is recorded and mixed! Blessed with a fan coming through with the money to hire the musicians and rent the studio space, I have been able to record 14 tracks - 11 of them my original compositions with world renowned musicians guitarist Paul Meyers, bassist/cellist Mike Richmond, violinist/guitarist Dave Rimelis, drummer Vince Ector, percussionist Joe Cardello, pianist Ted Brancato and even a tap dancer Jonathan Luks with me on piano (on most tracks) and me singin my heart out on all of them except for a surprise track with me on my Native Flute and Drum! 

The CD is like a sound track of my life - a very personal project. The first song and title track "All For You" written originally for a former love - is  dedicated to all the wonderful friendships I have - lovers may come and go - but friends "true" friends are a forever - so "this one's for you" For all of you!~ The next three songs are about me "being in love" - the next three about falling "out of love" with my heart breaking - only to find a renewed sense of "love for myself" - and delving into "my soul" - my past - my inner self - only to find a renewed sense of self!  One of my goals with this cd is to do programs in therapeutic environments.  My hope is that through openly sharing my story via music and dialogue, it will act as a source of strength to others in need.
read more: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/823517808/cd-all-for-you-my-heart-and-soul-lauren-hooker-and

NJJazzList.com Calendar

09/25 Thu B.D. Lenz at Mara's Cafe - Denville 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Style: Guitar, Cover: None, solo jazz guitar!Learn more , Hear samples , (862/973)

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09/25 Thu Barbara Rose, Pianist & Vocalist at Molly Pitcher Inn, Red Bank 7:00 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 to Scott Joplin to Billy Joel. Click more info. Learn more , Hear samples , (732/848)

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09/25 Thu Carrie Jackson Quartet @ 16 Prospect Wine Bar at 16 Prospect Wine Bar & Bistro,Westfield 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: None, Carrie Jackson w/ Bob Smith, organ, Tom Pass, organ, Les Mc Kee, drms, no music cover 16 Prospect Street, Westfield, NJ 908-232-7320 Performance in lounge & bar area, great music & food Learn more , Hear samples , (908/ )

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09/25 Thu Carrie Jackson and Her Jazz All-Stars at 16 Prospect Wine and Beer Bistro 8:00 pm to 11:00 pmStyle: Straight-ahead, Cover: None, Vocalist Carrie Jackson with Bob Smith on guitar, Tommy Pass on Hammond Organ, and Les McKee on drums Learn more , (Other )

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09/25 Thu Gil Lewis/ jazz piano/vocal at CAPN' CAT FRANKLINVILLE NJ 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm Style: Piano,Cover: donation, TELL YOUR FRIENDS ON FACEBOOK TO COME OUT Learn more , Hear samples , (856/ )

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09/25 Thu Hollie Baines at Red Restaurant and Lounge, 3 Broad St. Red Bank, N 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style:Vocal, Cover: None, In the lounge, with Doug Clarke on guitar and Steve LaSpina on bass Learn more , (Other )

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09/25 Thu IN TRIO at Trumpets 7:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Contemporary/Post Bop, Cover: over $10, IN presents:NEW JERSEY CD RELEASE EVENT for CD "DEFINING MOMENT" SEPT. 25, Trumpets Jazz Club IN is:HARVIE S-bass TIM ARMACOST-sax.flute, electr.CHRISTIAN FINGER-drums 2 sets: EARLY TIME: 7:30 p.m. & 9:00 p.m.Trumpets is located at 6 Depot Square,easy to reach: right across NJ Stop Walnut street Learn more , (862/973)

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09/25 Thu IN trio/ Harvie S/Tim Armacost/Christian Finger at Trumpets 8:00 pm to 1:00 am Style:Contemporary/Post Bop, Cover: over $10, IN Trio is: Harvie S-bass, Tim Armacost-Sax,flute,electr., Christian Finger-drums IN is: A new & exciting trio from NYC. Biography IN started when Tim, Harvie & Christian started to play very regular together, since their was an amazing chemistry among the musicians. We've been recording and giggin Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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09/25 Thu Jazz Celebration Big Band at Cafe Lava 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Swing/Big Band, Cover: $10 or less, 17 piece Jazz Orchestra featuring vocalist Claudia Perry Learn more , Hear samples , (215/ )

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09/25 Thu Rudy Royston Quartet at Makeda - 338 George St - New Brunswick, NJ 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style:Straight-ahead, Cover: $10 or less, Thursday September 25, 2014 8.00 pm - 11.00 pm Rudy Royston Quartet Drummer Rudy Royston and his quartet. Makeda - 338 George St. New Brunswick, NJ $5 Music charge. Learn more , (732/848)

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09/26 Fri BLUE SOUL at ROD's Steak & Seafood Grille Lounge 9:00 pm to 12:00 am Style: Blues-Electric,Cover: None, BLUE SOUL fuses vintage Blues, R&B, Soul, New Orleans, Jazz, and Rock styles. Featuring Herb Woodson (lead vocals), Bailey Gee (bass/vocals), Mitch Eisenberg (guitar), Glenn McClelland (keyboards), Gary Dates (drums). NO COVER CHARGE !! ROD's is located at One Convent Road (Madison Ave.), Morristown, NJ 07960 (973) 539-6666. Call for info & reservations. No cover charge ! Hang out at the bar and enjoy the music and dance, or try their new casual dining "Red Dog Tavern". Learn more , (Unknown)

Volunteers Needed at Next Month's Texas Jazz Festival

Posted: Sep 23, 2014 7:19 PM BRT
Updated: Sep 23, 2014 7:19 PM BRT

CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) - If you like jazz music, you're in for a treat next month. The countdown is on to this year's Texas Jazz Festival.

Kiii News Reporter Bill Churchwell looked into it and found that organizers are still searching for volunteers to help during the three-day event.


If you would like to volunteer, you can email your information to ccjazzcommittee@att.net
from: http://www.kiiitv.com/story/26609390/volunteers-needed-at-next-months-texas-jazz-festival
KiiiTV.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend

On the Town: The stars align for salsa at Burroughs

Miles Gonzalez blowing some serious Saturday night jazz to the delight of supporters of the John Burroughs High School Instrumental Music Assn. (Photo by David Laurell / September 20, 2014)

By David Laurell
September 23, 2014 | 2:15 p.m.
Last week's heat spell was nothing more than a mere memory as the mix of cool jazz and hot salsa blended together and rendered a perfect late-summer evening as John Burroughs High School's Instrumental Music Assn. presented its annual "Salsa Under the Stars" fundraiser this past Saturday evening.

Staged in the school's quad, the event gave students, parents and supporters the opportunity to spread out their blankets and enjoy picnics or dinner provided by Tacos Maximo, brush up on their salsa skills by taking a dance lesson from master instructor Janette Valenzuela, who is world-renowned as an innovator and creator of L.A. style salsa, and then use those freshly learned or enhanced skills to dance to the music of the John Burroughs High School Jazz Ensemble.

Sponsored by former Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos and the Arturo Sandoval Institute, the evening raised funds needed to keep the school's music program afloat.


Influenced early in his career by be-bop giants Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie, Cuban jazz great Arturo Sandoval played a vital role in shaping the face of both modern Latin music and mainstream jazz.
read more: http://www.burbankleader.com/the818now/tn-blr-me-society-on-the-town-the-stars-align-for-salsa-at-burroughs-20140923,0,4781420.story

Lissy Walker's second album, ....

"...a hand-crafted work of art...a fine addition to any collection of jazz vocalists...very highly recommended" - Doug Boynton, Girl Singers

Walker's burnished vocals and her virtuosic band slip effortlessly between genres to create their own soulfully sweet sound––dreamy and bittersweet, heartfelt and swinging––on her stunning new recording, Wonderland.

The songs on Walker's second recording deal in dreams and illusions, desires fulfilled and unfulfilled, and the power of reflection and intent. Walker's sweet, smoky, purring alto is perfectly suited to these songs of yearning.

Sometimes heady and unabashedly romantic, sometimes full of heartache and subtle humor––the result is another beautiful album compilation that continuously reveals its emotional and musical intensity.

Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Max Roach Quintet

Bruce Hornsby ....

SEP

26

New York, NY - September 26, 2014

SEP

27

Princeton, NJ - September 27, 2014

OCT

4

Raleigh, NC - October 4, 2014

NEW YORK, NY - Almost three decades after launching one of contemporary music’s most diverse careers, Bruce Hornsby still makes joyful noise as he discovers clever and expansive ways to chronicle dynamic musical snapshots, tapping into many of the genres that have influenced him over the years—pop, jazz, bluegrass, country and modern classical.  Celebrating the release of a live 2-CD set, Solo Concerts, Hornsby shares his most recent explorations in a duo performance at Rose Theater in New York City on September 26 with Sonny Emory on percussion.   Every ticket to this performance includes a copy of Solo Concerts.

 

“I think I’ve found a middle ground,” Hornsby says. “I think it’s very easy be straight down the middle, to write and play the very straight, simple music. I think it’s also easy to be completely out there, very obtuse and obscure, saying oh, they don’t understand. For me, the difficult thing is to find a middle ground where you’re reaching and broadening your language but still connecting with someone perhaps used to hearing – for an entire lifetime – only those seven white notes and those simple chords.”

 

For all his talents as a singer, bandleader and pianist with an instantly identifiable sound, Hornsby is a songwriter at heart.  His commercial stock soared early on, when “The Way It Is”–the title track of his 1986 debut album–became one of the most popular songs on American radio. With Bruce Hornsby and the Range he also produced hits like “Mandolin Rain” and “Every Little Kiss,” and went on to further successes with his longtime band, the Noisemakers.

 

In recent years, he has pushed his artistic limits, working with bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs, The Bruce Hornsby Trio, and jazz legend Charlie Haden. Hornsby has also scored a number of projects for filmmaker Spike Lee including the documentary Kobe Doin’ Work (2009), Red Hook Summer (2012), and the upcoming Da Sweet Blood of Jesus. Hornsby has contributed to all-star collections that pay tributes to Fats Domino, The Band and most recently, Jackson Browne. A music graduate of University of Miami, Hornsby also has partnered with its Frost School of Music to establish the Creative American Music Program, a curriculum designed to develop the creative skills of talented young artist/songwriters by immersing them in the many traditions that form the foundations of modern American songwriting.

 

Hornsby’s duo performance will offer a glimpse of a restless spirit who continues to push forward into exciting new musical terrain.    

Modern Art Orchestra & Dave Liebman

Balassi Institute

Thursday, October 2, 2014 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM (EDT)

New York, NY

Jazz greats Dave Liebman and Kornel Fekete-Kovacs, bandleader for big band extraordinaire Modern Art Orchestra (Hungary), reunite at Symphony Space for an adventurous musical encounter, taking the audience on a voyage from Bartok to the heartland of contemporary jazz.


During the past decade, Modern Art Orchestra has gained the status of an internationally renowned chamber orchestra that is engaged in many genres, but most noted for its fusion of big band orchestration with contemporary jazz and contemporary classical music.

It has had countless successful projects together with the world’s leading musicians from Ennio Morricone, Bob Mintzer, Dave Liebman, Kurt Elling or Wallace Roney through Rhoda Scott, Julian Joseph, Mike Garson or Silje Neergard to Mezzoforte, New York Voices or Harlem Gospel Choir, and boast of over 15 hours of music composed for MAO, including pieces by Péter Eötvös. After their tour on the West Coast, Modern Art Orchestra will perform in New York City along with Dave Liebman. Liebman is considered a renaissance man in contemporary music. He has played with many of the masters and among others was awarded with NEA Jazz Masters and JEN Legends of Jazz.
read more: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/modern-art-orchestra-dave-liebman-tickets-13030900775?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventurl_text

Freeport Community Concert Association

The Freeport Community Concert Association - a not-for-profit Long Island Arts Council affiliate – is now in its sixty-sixth season, and serves approximately 500 concert-goers from 60 towns, villages and cities in Nassau county and beyond. 

It is a cultural pot of gold that costs only $75 for a yearly six-concert subscription. (Individual tickets may be purchased at the door for $20 on the evening of the performance. Only $5 for children (under 18).

The FCCA tradition of bringing NYC concert hall caliber musicians to our community is still its hallmark. One can expect anything from classic ballet to a klezmer band to a symphony orchestra to an a cappella singing group to Mississippi Blues to virtuosic violin and piano recitals. Quality and variety are what our concertgoers are regularly provided.

The concerts are held on Saturday evenings at 8pm at Freeport High School, located at 50 S. Brookside Avenue, just south of Sunrise Highway in Freeport, New York.

Mystic India performed for the Freeport Community Concert Association on June 7, 2014. Based on the concept of ancient India’s transition into modern India, the show featured brilliant artists, opulent costumes, and stunning visual effects. The vibrant costumes and elaborate sets were custom designed in Mumbai for this touring production.

Youn Sun Nah enchants audiences on US tour

South Korean vocal sensation Youn Sun Nah has just completed a celebrated US tour in duo with Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius, formerly with the Oscar Peterson Quartet. The duo earned standing ovations everywhere, including the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York and the Monterrey Jazz Festival.

LA Times’ Chris Barton wrote "With a lush tone, Korean jazz vocalist Youn Sun Nah turned quite a few heads with her 2013 album "Lento," which soared on a delicate acoustic backing that included guitarist Ulf Wakenius (on hand here) and diverse material that looked to both Nine Inch Nails and the Korean tradition for inspiration.". 

It’s the diversity of her musical influences and her versatility and the emotional power in her voice that makes Youn Sun Nah’s music irresistible to audiences all over the world.

Youn Sun Nah is an award-winning star in her home country South Korea. Among many other achievements, she performed the famous folk song “Arrirang” at the closing ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics and was appointed goodwill ambassador for UNESCO’s International Jazz Day.
read more: http://youn.rockpaperscissors.biz/dispatch/11286/9NBloqWFV_ud81-exbeu2A?recipient_id=163936
Youn Sun Nah Quartet 2013 

Youn Sun Nah / Vocals
Ulf Wakenius / Guitar
Lars Danielsson / Contrabass
Vincent Peirani / Accordion

www.younsunnah.com
www.myspace.com/younsunnah