Monday, August 31, 2015

Galliano and Marsalis - La Vie En Rose


Uploaded on Mar 26, 2009
Richard Galliano and Wynton Marsalis - La Vie En Rose - Jazz in Marciac 2008

Frank Marocco Jazz Accordion


Uploaded on Feb 20, 2011
Frank Marocco " After you have gone" Las Vegas Accordion Convention 2010
Dedicated to Art van Damme
Video: Mike Roche

Art Van Damme - The Accordion in Jazz

Steven Cerra,
Art Van Damme, in his prime years, played so many gigs in clubs, hotels and concert stages across the USA and Europe that it is said that he never needed to do any practice. He was constantly in action, developing and honing his skills and repertoire, pioneering the use of the accordion as a jazz lead instrument.
So influential was Art’s playing style that he has influenced most of the western world’s jazz accordionists. One musicologist made the following neat comment: ‘The hippest cat ever to swing an accordion, Art Van Damme dared go where no man had gone before: jazz accordion.’” - Rob Howard

The accordion seemed to be everywhere present during our growing up years in an Italian-American household in Providence, RI.

The world-class accordionist Angelo DiPippo, a LaSalle HS graduate in the near-by Elmhurst section of Providence, often gave performances in various local venues.

Also available courtesy of my Dad’s record collection were the Capitol recordings that accordionist Ernie Felice made with Benny Goodman’s small groups.

And every so often, Art Van Damme would make an “appearance” at our house in the form of NBC radio programs, television shows hosted by Dave Garroway and Dinah Shore and long-playing records on the Columbia label.

The Columbia LP’s featured Art’s quintet which, because of his use of vibes and guitar and the way many of the groups arrangements were “voiced,” reminded me of pianist George Shearing’s combo.  A few of these albums also featured guest artists such as vocalist Jo Stafford or legendary Jazz guitarist, Johnny Smith.

Whatever the setting, Art’s music was always very melodic and featured arrangements that were very hip and swung like mad. Lasting little more than three minutes in most cases, each tune was a musical gem: the epitome of taste and perfection.

As was the case with Shearing’s quintet, nobody took long solos, but when Chuck Calzaretta played one on vibes, or Fred Rundquist took one on guitar or Art improvised on accordion, one knew immediately that they were good players who knew what they were doing on their respective instruments.

Because I was so accustomed to hearing accordion and, more importantly, to hearing it played well, I could never understand why the instrument became the object of so many jokes that unmercifully ridiculed it.

That is until I started gigging on a regular basis and ran into so many terrible accordionists which only served to make me appreciate the like of an Art Van Damme even more.

However, even among those who held most accordionists in contempt, the mere mention of Art’s name brought a grudging approval that he was “… a class act although I can’t stand the sound of the thing.”

Although you would be hard-pressed to find anything about him in any of the manuals about Jazz, in a conversation that I once had about him with pianist and composer Mel Powell at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, CA, Mel referred to Art as “one of the most-talented musicians I’ve ever heard – regardless of the instrument.”

Not surprisingly, there’s plenty of information about Art in publications, blogs and websites that cater to accordion. In such circles, he has rightfully assumed legendary status as one of the instrument’s greatest performers.

It was to one such publication that we went in search of the following overview of Art’s career. It also contains particular reference to many of Art’s recordings. A number of these are available should you wish to seek them out.


At the conclusion of Steven Solomon’s article on Art, you’ll find a video tribute to him as developed by the ace graphics teams at CerraJazz LTD. The audio track is Art’s quintet with guitarist Jimmy Smith performing “Gone With the Wind.”

read more: http://jazzprofiles.blogspot.com.br/2015/08/art-van-damme-accordion-in-jazz-from.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+JazzProfiles+(Jazz+Profiles)

The SAINTS of SWING

Sunday Brunch with Live Music 10:00 to 2:00.


The SAINTS of SWING are an extraordinary collective of some of the tri-state area's finest performers with an eclectic, electric groove of foot-tappin' Swing classics - from spicy New Orleans Dixieland style (complete with a dancin' tuba player!),  elegant NYC sizzlers, Motown, R&B, Ballroom favorites, Gospel, Latin, and Klezmer! www.saintsofswing.com

Led by David Winograd on tuba/bass,with Dale Demarco on sax/clarinet, Larry Balestra on drums and featuring Miss Rene Bailey on vocals.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Gianluigi Trovesi - A Career Retrospective


Uploaded on Jun 14, 2009
"Rina e Vigilio" from "jazzitaliano live 2007" with:
Gianluigi Trovesi [as],
Enrico Rava [tp],
Roberto Cecchetto [g],
Marco Micheli [b],
Vittorio Marinoni [d].

Interview: Dion DiMucci

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

DionDiMucci
Before girl groups, the Four Seasons, Motown and the Beatles, there was Dion. Born and raised in the Bronx, Dion DiMucci wound up with 33 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including I Wonder Why (1958), A Teenager in Love (1959), Runaround Sue (1961), the Wanderer (1961), Ruby Baby(1962), Donna the Prima Donna (1963) and Abraham, Martin and John (1968). What made Dion special was his boyish sensitivity and the subject-matter of the songs he sang. He was one of the first artists to sing about issues urban male teens faced, while his boyish looks hooked female record-buyers. He also had a powerful dreamer's voice that was groomed on the streets of his Italian neighborhood in the Belmont section of the Bronx. In a sense, he was the asphalt Everly Brother and one of the first artists to raise doo-wop to mass appeal. Remember, there are only two American rockers on the cover of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper—Bob Dylan and Dion.
MN-AJ966_DION_J_20150824155428
Today, I interview Dion for my "House Call" column in the Wall Street Journal about growing up in the Bronx in the 1950s (go here). During our chat, I asked Dion about one of rock history's most tragic days. [Photo of Dion DiMucci in his Boca Raton, Fla., home by Alexia Fodere for The Wall Street Journal]
MPW-88430
Most people forget that Dion was the fourth headliner on the Winter Dance Party tour of 1959, which included Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson ("the Big Bopper"). Dion shared with me what happened that night in Clear Lake, Iowa, and how he wound up not boarding the fateful flight that crashed soon after taking off, killing all on board.
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JazzWax tracks:
 
My favorite Dion compilation is Dion: The Complete Laurie Sessions (Real Gone Music) here.
JazzWax clips: Here are a few Dion clips:
Here's Somebody Nobody Wants...
Here's Dion and the Belmonts with I Wonder Why...
Here's The Wanderer...
And here's Abraham, Martin and John...
Used with permission by Marc Myers

Amelia Island Jazz Festival

AIJF SETS LARRY CORYELL &  KEVIN MAHOGANY AS 2015  HEADLINERS
 
Jazz guitar pioneer, Larry Coryell, and Kevin Mahogany, a masterful jazz vocalist, are set to headline the 2015 Amelia Island Jazz Festival, it was announced this week by AIJF Artistic Director Les DeMerle. A hugely influential guitar player, Coryell is a major figure in the jazz fusion movement of the 1970s and continues to turn out highly regarded recordings.

He will appear on Friday, October 9, at the Omni Resorts Amelia Island Plantation. Veteran recording artist Kevin Mahogany, who will perform on Saturday, October 10 at the Omni, is a wide-ranging, spectacular singer who refines the jazz vocal legacies of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Eddie Jefferson and Al Jarreau into the myriad, interwoven dimensions of music – from gutbucket, the Great American Songbook, and gospel, to Charles Mingus to Motown.

Now in its 12th year, the AIJF will take place at various locations in Fernandina Beach, FL from October 4-11, and will kick off with its annual free concert in Amelia Park on Sunday, October 4, with U.S. Navy Band Southeast TGIF.   A new show, Jump Jive & Wail, a tribute to classic dance oriented swing music featuring the Dynamic Les DeMerle Little Big Band and gifted vocalist Bonnie Eisele, has been added to this year’s slate of events for Wednesday, October 7, at Sandy Bottoms.

Latin Jazz Night will take place in its traditional Thursday night slot, October 8, and will showcase the sizzling hot, award winning, and internationally famous Trio Caliente with their inimitable blend of Flamenco, Pop, and Brazilian Jazz, also at Sandy Bottoms.  Additionally, the always entertaining and fun late night Jazz Jams, featuring the AIJF’s 2015 musicians, will follow the headliner sets on October 9 and 10 in the Omni’s Verandah Restaurant at Racquet Park.  The festival is scheduled to end on a swinging note Sunday, October 11, with a Dixie to Swing Jazz Brunch, featuring DeMerle’s Jazztet plus Eisele with Former Ray Charles Saxophonist, Al Waters-Clarinet, Sax and Flute, at David’s Restaurant. 

In addition to online, tickets may be purchased at the UPS Store, 1417 Sadler Road, in the Island Shopping Center, or at the AIFBY Chamber Of Commerce, Gateway to Amelia, A1A and Amelia Parkway.  A not for profit 501(c)(3) corporation, the Les DeMerle Amelia Island Jazz Festival, distributes proceeds toward a scholarship program to fund college educations for aspiring jazz musicians.

For more information:
visit the website:  www.ameliaislandjazzfestival.com
Email address:  info@ameliaislandjazzfestival.com

2015 AMELIA ISLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS


Sunday, October 4
JAZZ IN THE PARK
Amelia Park. 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Free concert with the U.S. Navy Band Southeast, TGIF

Wednesday, October 7
JUMP, JIVE & WAIL
Swingin' Dance and Show
Featuring The Dynamic Les DeMerle 8-piece Little Big Band with vocalist Bonnie Eisele 
Sandy Bottoms, 7:00 - 10:00 pm

Thursday, October 8
LATIN JAZZ CONCERT AND DANCE
Featuring Trio Caliente, AIJF Debut
Washington D.C. award winning Latin Band Plus Special Guests
Sandy Bottoms, 7:00 - 10:00 pm

Friday, October 9
LARRY CORYELL, JAZZ GUITAR LEGEND IN CONCERT
Plus the Amelia Island Jazz Festival All Stars
Two Shows, 7 pm and 9 pm
Omni Resorts Hotel and Resorts,
Includes admission to Late Night Jam Session

Saturday, October 10
KEVIN MAHOGANY, JAZZ VOCALIST EXTRAORDINAIRE IN CONCERT
Plus the Amelia Island Jazz Festival All Stars
Two Shows, 7 pm and 9 pm
Omni Hotel and Resorts
Includes admission to Late Night Jam Session

Sunday, October 11
NEW ORLEANS STYLE MARDI GRAS JAZZ BRUNCH.
Featuring the Les DeMerle Jazztet with Former Ray Charles Saxophonist, Al Waters-Clarinet, Sax and Flute; Mike Levine-Piano; Dennis Marks-Bass;  Les DeMerle-Drums and Vocals; and Bonnie Eisele-featured vocals.
First Seating: 11:00 AM - 12:30 pm
Second Seating:  1:00 - 2:30 pm
David’s Restaurant

Who Is Randy Weston?

Who Is Randy Weston? A Conversation With Robin D.G. Kelley Plus Performance

Thursday, September 10, 2015 at 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm 

John L. Tishman Auditorium, University Center 63 Fifth Avenue, Room U100, New York, NY 10003

Who Is Randy Weston? A Conversation With Robin D.G. Kelley Plus Performance
The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music is proud to introduce Randy Weston as our first ever Artist-In-Residence, for the academic year '15-'16. Pianist, composer, and bandleader, Randy Weston is one of the world’s most influential jazz musicians, a remarkable innovator and visionary whose career has spanned five continents and more than six decades.
To kick off Weston's residency at the New School, this program will introduce Randy and his long career through a conversation with Robin D.G. Kelley (Professor of American History at UCLA, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original, 2009), with piano demonstrations by Randy Weston, and audio and video samples. 
This event is the first of the five major public programs associated with Weston's residency. Future events will feature various aspects of Weston's artistry and his major influences, including traditional Gnawa musicians from Morocco (Oct 13), master drummers from Senegal (Nov 17), as well as a symposium in the African Drum and a major closing concert (both of which will take place in Spring 2016). In each program, Randy Weston will discuss the influence of African music and culture on his own music, and perform with the guest artists. 
Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1926, to a Jamaican and Panamanian father and a mother from Virginia, Weston didn't have to travel far to hear the early jazz giants that were to influence him. 
Due in large part to his father, Frank Edward Weston (who told his son that he was, "an African born in America”), Africa is at the core of Weston’s music and spirituality. He has traversed the continent on a continuous quest to learn about its musical traditions, produced its first major jazz festival, and lived for years in Morocco, where he opened a popular music venue, the African Rhythms Club, in Tangier.
Weston has forged unique partnerships with Langston Hughes, the musician and arranger Melba Liston, and the jazz scholar Marshall Stearns, as well as his friendships and collaborations with Duke EllingtonDizzy GillespieColeman HawkinsThelonious MonkBilly StrayhornMax RoachCharlie ParkerMiles Davis, the novelist Paul Bowles, the Cuban percussionist Candido Camero, the Ghanaian jazz artist Kofi Ghanaba, the Gnawa musicians of Morocco, and many others.
In October 2010, Duke University Press published African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston, “composed by Randy Weston, arranged by Willard Jenkins". It was hailed as "an important addition to the jazz historiography and a long anticipated read for fans of this giant of African American music, aka jazz."
In recognition of his artistic achievements, Randy Weston has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including a Jazz Masters Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts; John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellow; Doris Duke Award; French Order of Arts and Letters; and Honorary Doctor of Music degrees from the New England Conservatory and Brooklyn College.
read more: https://events.newschool.edu/event/who_is_randy_weston_a_conversation_with_robin_dg_kelley#.VeJ1ULTJVW1

The Jazz Drama Program 2015 Gala Benefit News


Saturday, August 29, 2015

NPR Music .....

First Listen: Cécile McLorin Salvant, 'For One To Love'

Salvant explores the quaint art of jazz singing, but with her own aesthetic idiosyncrasies intact. Her toolbox contains anywhere from a rich, husky voice to one that tiptoes theatrically, girlishly.
Read this story
JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA

All About That Bass, But Give The Drummer Some

Bassist Christian McBride, host of NPR's Jazz Night In America, explains the complicated dynamics between the bass and the drums in jazz — and James Brown.
MARIAN MCPARTLAND'S PIANO JAZZ

Hiromi On Piano Jazz

Marian McPartland improvises a "Portrait" of the talented Japanese pianist in this 2004 session.
ALT.LATINO

A Witness To History: Guest DJ Arturo O'Farrill

Alt.Latino talks to a bandleader with deep roots in Cuban music and a role in current events. O'Farrill just released a new album called Cuba: The Conversation Continues.

The Glenn Miller Story 1954 complete full movie

The Kareem Kandi Band 'You Make Me Feel So Young'


Published on Aug 24, 2015
Tenor saxophonist, Kareem Kandi, has been a lynchpin of northwest jazz for 20 years, and when it comes to be-bop, he’s the real deal. 

Set List:

1. Guess Again
2. Love In All Its Forms
3. You Make Me Feel So Young

Friday, August 28, 2015

JazzCorner News


SFJAZZ Family Matinee: Dorado Schmitt and the Django All-Stars 11/7/2015

(Published: August 26, 2015)

No one has done more to ignite interest in the idiom than dazzling French guitarist and violinist Dorado Schmitt. By the mid-90s he was a leading figure on the international Gypsy jazz scene, where he continues to represent the art form at its highest level. He's joined by a cast of fiercely swinging compatriots, including the brilliant jazz accordionist Ludovic Beier and violinist Pierre Blanchard.



Submitted By: SFJAZZ

Julie Wood Quintet


Juli loves to play and sing simple swinging tunes like Bobby Timmons’ Moanin’ and the old standard Bye Bye Blackbird, but she’s also a powerhouse on more complex arrangements like Joe Henderson’s treatment of Without a Song and Freddie Hubbard’s version of Full Moon and Empty Arms. Her voice is full bodied, she phrases right in the pocket, and her tenor sax has that big Chicago sound. Juli Loves playing every Sunday with Larry and Steve in the great gospel band at Christ Universal Temple.


Larry Bowen plays trumpet and Flugel Horn. He brings a big Dizzy Gillespie and Freddie Hubbard vibe to the band. Larry is a wonderful jazz, R&B, gospel, and theatre musician. He has played with Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, the Four Tops, the O’Jays, and jazz singer extraordinaire, Tony Bennett. Larry is on Koko Taylor’s 2001 Grammy nominated CD, Royal Blue. He played in the Chicago Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jon Faddis. He is the lead trumpet for the Paramount Theatre in Aurora, IL. He was also lead trumpet for 2014’s Broadway hit in Chicago, Motown the Musical Larry also plays in the great gospel band at Christ Universal Temple.

Chris Potter + Kenny Werner (Duo) "Tala"

Uploaded on Mar 13, 2010
This album was recorded live at Maybeck Recital Hall in Berkeley, CA, on October 9, 1994.

A world-class soloist, accomplished composer and formidable bandleader, saxophonist Chris Potter has emerged as a leading light of his generation. Down Beat called him "One of the most studied (and copied) saxophonists on the planet" while Jazz Times identified him as "a figure of international renown." Jazz sax elder statesman Dave Liebman called him simply, "one of the best musicians around," a sentiment shared by the readers of Down Beat in voting him second only to tenor sax great Sonny Rollins in the magazine's 2008 Readers Poll.

Potter has released a number of albums as leader and has performed and recorded with many leading musicians including Patricia Barber, Kenny Werner, Red Rodney, Marian McPartland, the Mingus Big Band, Paul Motian, Ray Brown, Jim Hall, James Moody, Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano, Wayne Krantz, Mike Mainieri, Steve Swallow, Steely Dan, Dave Holland, Joanne Brackeen, Adam Rogers and many more.
from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=23&v=lBrUnoWA0Gw

Gerald Clayton plays live for Byron Janis


Published on Aug 14, 2012

"It is an honor to pay tribute to this legend of the piano. To hear Byron Janis breathe life into the music of Chopin, Rachmaninov, Liszt, and so many others is breathtaking. He is a remarkable artist and human being."
- Gerald Clayton

Gerald Clayton was born on May 11, 1984 in Utrecht, The Netherlands and moved to the United States at a young age. Gerald grew up in a musical family (his father is bassist/composer John Clayton and his uncle saxophonist Jeff Clayton) and was exposed to a variety of musical styles from a very young age. He studied classical piano with Mrs. Linda Buck and jazz piano and composition with Shelly Berg, Kenny Barron and Billy Childs.

Gerald has received numerous awards over the past years, including the Music Center Spotlight Awards in 2001. In 2002 Gerald was presented with the "level 1" award by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (NFAA), was named Presidential Scholar in the Arts and received a scholarship award from the Music for Youth Foundation. He also received the Shelley Manne Award for emerging young artists from the Los Angeles Jazz Society. In September of 2006, Gerald received Second Place in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Piano Competition.

Despite his young age, Gerald has already performed extensively with numerous outstanding musicians including pianists Benny Green, Mulgrew Miller and Kenny Barron, trumpeter Clark Terry, drummer Lewis Nash and trumpeter Roy Hargrove.

Gerald is a Yamaha Artist.
from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEW5qMhVrn8

e-mail from Barry Dallman

Hi there,

I've just put a new post on up on barrydallman.com 'Why you never play as well
in front of an audience'

Every music student is aware of the phenomenon. You're killin' it in the
practice room but it all goes wrong as soon as it's time to play in front of
other people. It can happen when you get on stage, when you're in front of your
teacher, or even when a family member walks into [...]

You may view the latest post at
http://barrydallman.com/why-you-never-play-as-well-in-front-of-an-audience/

You received this e-mail because you asked to be notified when new updates are
posted. If you don't want to receive future updates, simply reply with
'unsubscribe' in the subject box and I'll take you off the list

Best regards,

Barry Dallman
info@barrydallman.com

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Letter from Cynthia Sayer

Hello!
A quick note to let you know that my Sparks Fly Quartet will be playing for Jazz On The Plaza, a free outdoor lunchtime concert series sponsored by Saint Peter’s Church, at 53rd Street & Lexington Ave in Manhattan. Details below. Bring along some food if you wish, and come on by!   

Cynthia Sayer & Sparks Fly
Thursday, Aug 27
12:30 – 1:45 pm
Jazz On The Plaza 2015
53rd Street @ Lexington Ave, NYC*

Cynthia Sayer: banjo & vocals
Adrian Cunningham: clarinet & saxophone
Mike Weatherly: string bass & vocals
Larry Eagle: drums

*In case of rain or if it’s too brutally hot, we’ll play in the sanctuary, but the weather report says it’ll be a lovely summer day!   

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Marc Hoffman To Perform At Childress Vineyards

Published: August 26, 2015

(CHARLOTTE, NC) - Virillion Music recording artist Marc Hoffman will perform Sunday, August 30th from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. at Childress Vineyards in Lexington, NC as part of the "Music In the Vineyards" series.

Hoffman, a NC native will include original instrumental and vocal jazz in his performance, as well as standards and pop.

"I'm really excited to be back for another performance on the "Music in the Vineyards" series," Hoffman said. "Childress Vineyards is a beautiful and fun venue and it's great working with their staff. The crowd is so supportive at Childress!"

In addition to performing jazz as a soloist and with ensembles, Marc is a composer working in a variety of genres including film, solo piano, concert and choral music. A new patriotic choral work was premiered in June this yea as part of the Annual Fourth of July Celebration in Faith, NC.

Also an author, Marc's Essential Worship Keyboard is published by Emerald Books and a picture book, Sleep, Little Child by Virillion Music Publishing.

Marc's original jazz and concert works have been performed live and on radio across the US and in the UK, France, Canada and The Netherlands.

For more information contact http://www.childressviney...

For a complete performance schedule please visit www.marchoffman.com. Marc's music is available on iTunes, Amazon.com and CDBaby.

Childress Vineyards is located at Exit 89 off I-85, on Hwy 64 W. in Lexington, NC.

Marc's music is available on iTunes, Amazon.com and CDBaby. For more info visit his website, www.marchoffman.com.

About Marc Hoffman:

Marc Hoffman received a degree in composition from the North Carolina School of the Arts and studied film composition at USC. He also attended The Dartington International Summer School of Music in Devon, England. His composition teachers have included John Corigliano, Leo Arnaud, Neil Hefti, and Sherwood Shaffer. Marc performs across the US and abroad, as a soloist and with his jazz trio. A member of BMI and the American Composer's Forum, he is also founder and artistic director of the Salisbury School of Music. Marc lives in Salisbury, NC with is wife, Anne, and their daughter August. 

More Information: http://www.marchoffman.com

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Letter from Ron .....

Hi Claudio,

Bamako is a very different place than it was just a few years ago when Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal gave us Chamber Music. These days, it's the night time that's the right time for making music. Recorded outside on rooftops with only cello and kora, Musique de Nuit(Sept 11) captures the Malian night, with all its ambient sounds, serene tension, and glimpses of shadows in the dark. In fact, the ambiance is practically the third member of the duo.

Audio, hi-res pics, bios, and press release are all at this link:
Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal - Midnight Music and Rooftop Freedom: Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal Deepen the Conversation on Musique de Nuit


09/11/2015
French cellist Vincent Segal and Malian kora virtuoso Ballaké Sissoko sat down together, in the wonderful, peculiar hours when all life seemed suspended. And they played together, in quiet dialogue. At night, they felt liberated.
Play - Download Album


(PS, unfortunately there are no tour dates behind this beautuful album until Oct 2016.)
best,

Ron Kadish
publicist
ron@rockpaperscissors.biz

rock paper scissors, inc.
511 west 4th street, suite 2
bloomington, indiana  47404 usa
www.rockpaperscissors.biz

Ridgewood Jazz Fest ....


At Memorial Park at Van Ness Square in Ridgewood NJ on Sunday, September 13th, 12-6PM for an afternoon of "Women Leaders in Jazz"
 
Opening the festival is Sharel Cassity's "Elektra" Band
Sharel--sax, flute, effects
Ingrid Jensen--trumpet, effects
Shamie Royston--keys
Linda Oh--electric & upright bass
Allison Miller-drums.
 
Jazzmeia Horn is bringing to Ridgewood 'The Artistry of Jazzmeia Horn' and will include...
Victor Gould- Piano
Dezron Douglas- Bass
Darrian Douglas- Drums
Patrick Bartley- Tenor Sax
Phantom Knoet -The Knowledge Dropping Poet
Jamie Philbert- Dancer
Jazzmeia Horn- Vocals. The ensemble just performed at Dizzys club Coca-Cola.   
 
Antoinette Montague's
World Peace in the Key of Jazz with
Danny Mixon, keys
Bobby Sanabria, drums
Paul Beaudry, bass 
Jay Hoggard, vibes
Solomon Hicks, guitar 
 
It will be an alfresco afternoon with 15 local restaurants offering small plates and a beer/ wine garden.

For more information 
 www.ridgewoodguild.com

7th Annual Big Bend Hospice Benefit Concert in Memory of Pat Ramsey


Saturday, October 3, 2015
Bradfordville Blues Club
7152 Moses Lane, Tallahassee, FL 32309

Monday, August 24, 2015

Review: Jason Moran in Edinburgh

As I hadn't done my homework, I wasn't expecting the volume level or the Cuban-rhythm intro to Jason Moran's late-night set at The Hub – the large church just below Edinburgh Castle, rather incongruously converted into a jazz venue. Moran (pictured right) is one of the most creative of living jazz pianists, his work crossing genres and artistic disciplines, and affirmed by the award of a MacArthur Grant. This evening’s tribute to Fats Waller originated with a commission by Harlem Stage in 2011. The result was a "dance party" featuring rapper-vocalist Meshell Ndegeocello, and the album All Rise: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller (Blue Note, 2014). 

Though there were no dancers in the Edinburgh set on 13 August, Moran was clearly stressing Waller the entertainer, rather than Waller the jazz master. He performed much of the time wearing a superb papier-mâché mask of Waller’s head, with cigarette hanging out, made for him by Haitian artist Didier Civil – which he had to take off periodically because it was so hot to wear. In place of Meshell Ndegeocello was vocalist Lisa Harris, doubling on tambourine and maracas. The pianist's regular partner Tarus Mateen was on electric bass, and Charles Haynes on (very loud) drums; trumpeter Leron Thomas completed the line-up. 

Moran's approach meant that instead of transformations like that of Jitterbug Waltz by Mingus and Dolphy, or Ain’t Misbehavin’ by Art Lande, he presented what one writer called a "polystylistic bacchanalia of sound and rhythm", featuring heavy funk vamps, hip-hop breaks and house grooves. Moran played Fender Rhodes plus the most (and maybe the first) over-amped Steinway I've heard. It was a good sound-system – it's now rare to experience an overloaded one like that I recall ruining an Edinburgh gig by the Gil Evans Orchestra, with its amplification set to 11 – but the volume was as inexplicably excessive as that of the Edinburgh Tattoo fireworks before the gig. It didn't please a steady trickle of older audience members who exited during the earlier numbers, just as younger ones were getting up to dance. 

The first recognisably Waller number was The Joint Is Jumpin', followed by Honeysuckle Rose to a disco beat. There was some genuine stride on Ain't Misbehavin', with the drummer on brushes, but then the volume rose again for a hip-hop revision, with Harris encouraging the audience to sing along. There was then a rather bizarre version of Lonely Woman which Moran introduced as "Fats meets Ornette" – I didn't hear any Waller in this. Leron Thomas, impressive on trumpet, sang Two Sleepy People feelingly, but too close to the mic – no intimacy is possible at this volume – accompanied by piano and bass. But Harris's tremulous interpretation of a very slow, re-conceptualised Ain’t Nobody’s Business stole the show.

Photo by Clay Patrick McBride

read more: http://www.jazzjournal.co.uk/jazz-latest-news/961/review-jason-moran-in-edinburgh

The Utopian Dreams Band performs @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center

Kuumbwa Jazz Center320-2 Cedar Street,Santa Cruz, CA 95060
SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 20158:00 PM — 10:00 PM


Since 1975, the Kuumbwa Jazz Center has grown from a small establishment to a highly recognized jazz-presenting, intimate 200 seat theater. The center attracts artists of national and international status such as the Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Stanley Clarke, the Yellowjackets and Chick Corea…to name a few. The Utopian Dreams Band is honored to be in concert at such a prestigious institution serving Santa Cruz and the SF Bay Area.

Mannie Klein: Keynote, 1946

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

MannyKlein1920s
Mannie Klein is all but forgotten today. Yet the trumpeter was on 672 recording sessions, topping Louis Armstrong's 658. Klein began recording in 1922 and worked relentlessly over six decades. In 1928 alone, he recorded with Red Nichols and His Five Pennies, the Dorsey Brothers and Paul Whiteman among other leading bands of the day. Throughout the 1930s, Klein recorded in dozens of bands, including those led by Ben Selvin and Frankie Trumbauer. In the early 1940s, he was on Artie Shaw's Frenesi, Freddie Slack's Cow Cow Boogie and Lionel Hampton's Flying Home, appearing in studios almost weekly. By the mid-1940s, Klein was one of the most in-demand big-band section players.
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Then in Hollywood in February 1946, Keynote Records producer Harry Lim pulled Klein loose and had him lead a superb sextet. The group recorded four sides—Something to Remember You By, After You've Gone, Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen and At Sundown. The band featured Mannie Klein (tp), Babe Russin (ts), Skitch Henderson (p), George Van Eps (g), Artie Shapiro (b) and Jackie Mills (d). The pairing of Klein and Russin was a stroke of genius on Lim's part. Klein and Russin had recorded together several times in the 1930s and early 1940s, but in this sextet, we're able to hear Klein's gentle, precise conversational trumpet and Russin's insistent, smoky tenor saxophone.
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Klein had a highly controlled technique that was seasoned by years of playing in some of jazz's most challenging orchestras. As a leader, he is perhaps best known for directing Frankie Laine's That's My Desire session for Mercury in 1946. He's also on all of the Artie Shaw Musicraft sides, including those with Mel Torne and the Meltones, and was in Billy May's studio bands at Capitol in the 1950s. To give you a sense of Klein's prowess, the May trumpet section in those days typically featured Klein, Conrad Gozzo, John Best and Uan Rasey. Klein also recorded steadily with the Four Freshmen, Ray Anthony and Nelson Riddle, particularly Frank Sinatra's Songs for Swingin' Lovers in 1956. Klein's recording pace slowed in the 1960s, and he made the natural move to record TV-show themes and movie soundtracks. He's on the Gidget and Bewitchedthemes, among many others. Klein died in 1994.
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JazzWax tracks:
 You'll find the four Klein tracks mentioned above on the Keynote Jazz Collection: 1941-1947 (Fresh Sound) here.
JazzWax clips: Here's At Sundown (dig Mannie Klein up against Babe Russin, with Van Eps on guitar)...
Here's Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen...

Here's After You've Gone, which was previously unissued...
Here's Something to Remember You By, also previously unissued...
Here's Frankie Laine in 1946 singing That's My Desire with a group led by Mannie Klein, with Babe Russin on tenor sax and Don Bonne on clarinet...
Here's a home movie of Klein's birthday party in February 1933 (while Prohibition was still in place). He was 25...
A special JazzWax thanks to David Langner.
Used with permission by Marc Myers

Deodato + support: Luca Boscagin Playground

Thursday 3rd - Saturday 5th September

EUMIR DEODATO – composer, musical director, keyboards, GRAEME FLOWERS – trumpet, DAVE WILLIAMSON  – trombone, BEN CASTLE – alto/tenor sax/flute, GRAEME BLEVINS – saxes, AL CHERRY – guitar, ANDREW McKINNEY – bass, PAT ILLINGWORTH – drums, SNOWBOY – percussion

Brazilian-born keyboardist, arranger and producer Eumir Deodato has racked up 16 platinum records, while his discography, including compilations and all his work as arranger, producer and keyboardist, surpasses over 450 albums. But despite such a successful career, the man known as simply ‘Deodato’ will always be best known for his brilliant adaptation of the Richard Strauss classicalopus, "Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey)".

Taken from his classic 1972 CTI recording Prelude, the unlikely hit sold over a million copies and catapulted Deodato to international stardom. Today, his legacy can be found in a host of songs as artists as diverse as Fun Loving Criminals, Fatboy Slim and Lupe Fiasco have sampled his music, while forty years on he reunited with fellow CTI musicians Billy Cobham, Airto alongside Al Jarreau to release 'The Crossing' on Expansion Records

Until his ’72 recording  for CTI, Deodato had been better known as an arranger for the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Astrud Gilberto, Wes Montgomery and Frank Sinatra and for his own series of classic Bossa Nova albums recorded back home in Brazil. But when CTI head Creed Taylor gave Deodato the chance to record his own album for the label, the result was a series of jazz inflected covers of classical music which spawned a massive world-wide club hit with his Latin tinged take on Strauss’s classic theme!

Following the release of Prelude, Deodato became a major name going on to record many more albums and working behind the scenes on some of the world most loved classics – he arranged Roberta flacks’ seminal ‘killing me Softly’ alongside Kool and the Gang’s ‘Celebration’ (amongst many many more) and later arranged three Bjork Albums – ‘Post’, Telegram’ and Homogenic’ of which he lists as one of his most interesting associations. More recently conducted the strings for KD Lang who remarked 'Deodato has an amazing capacity to understand the intimacy of the track".

His songs have been covered by George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Sarah Vaughan and The Emotions to mention just a few, and he has worked on many movie scores, including The Onion Field, The Black Pearl, Ghostbusters II, The Girl From Ipanema, and The Adventurers (recorded with A.C. Jobim and the London Symphony Orchestra), and his recordings have also been widely used on major movies such as Being There and The Exorcist.

He became a pioneer of the acid jazz movement with the Brand new heavies and Jamiroquai citing him as an influence, yet it’s his 70s classic hits that have endured for millions - when he launches into ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ or the club classic ‘Super Strut’, you can be sure that the energy from the stage will blow any winter blues away!!