Kevin Eubanks ended his 15-year tenure as musical director of “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” on Friday with a song, alone on acoustic guitar. It was “Adoration,” an original ballad flecked with classical filigree, and he gave it a warmly dignified calm. He seemed unhurried and introspective, already pulling away from the frenetic clamor of the show. The moment played out like a curtain call, when an actor leaves his character in the wings and you think, “So this is who he really is.” Not that you actually know him any better. More...
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Kevin Eubanks Begins Life After ‘The Tonight Show’ - NYTimes.com
Kevin Eubanks Begins Life After ‘The Tonight Show’ - NYTimes.com
Atlanta Jazz Festival 2010
Atlanta Jazz Festival 2010
On this Memorial Day weekend, people of Atlanta will enjoy Atlanta Jazz Festival. It is an annual festival which will be held this year for the 33rd time. The 2- day show on 29th to 30 May features several jazz performers and band for the entertainment of people. This years Atlanta Jazz Festival is organized by the office of Cultural Affairs of the state Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. This year’s festival will be organized at various locations which are the historic Grant Park, Centennial Olympic Park, Churchill Grounds, Piedmont Park and Underground Atlanta. Most of the events of the festival will have no admission fee.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Harvey G. Cohen's "Duke Ellington's America," reviewed by Jonathan Yardley
Harvey G. Cohen's "Duke Ellington's America," reviewed by Jonathan Yardley
DUKE ELLINGTON'S AMERICA
By Harvey G. Cohen
Univ. of Chicago. 688 pp. $40
This account of the life and times of Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington -- by far the most distinguished and important native son of Washington, D.C. -- is maddeningly overlong, mindlessly repetitious and, for all that, undeniably valuable. Harvey G. Cohen, an American academic who began his career at the University of Maryland and is now an associate professor of cultural and creative industries at King's College in London, has done prodigious research, much of it as a Kluge Scholar at the Library of Congress, and has unearthed an astonishing amount of material. All of this lends powerful support to his view that Ellington's high stature derives not just from the music he composed and played but from the remarkable life, both private and public, that he led.
What Was Your First Miles Davis Album? : NPR
What Was Your First Miles Davis Album? : NPR
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My first two which I bought on the same day, were "The Best of Miles Davis" and "Live At The Fillmore", both on Columbia Records (now Sony Music).
John H. Armwood
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My first two which I bought on the same day, were "The Best of Miles Davis" and "Live At The Fillmore", both on Columbia Records (now Sony Music).
John H. Armwood
Lincoln Theatre revue 'Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies' is a smash hit
Lincoln Theatre revue 'Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies' is a smash hit
By DeNeen Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 28, 2010; 6:02 AM
These words, written by musician Wynton Marsalis, appear projected onto a screen on the softly lit stage, all dreamy-like. An ode to Duke Ellington:
"He didn't sleep at night. He was the greatest flirt -- ever. . . . He believed that there were two kinds of music: the good kind and the other kind. He was the world's most prolific composer of blues, blueses of all shapes and sizes. . . . Wrote music in all 12 known keys and some keys that are still unknown. . . . Wrote music about the human experience; if it was experienced, he stylized it. In other words, Duke Ellington had a lot on his mind."
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I had the pleasure of seeing the original cast perform "Sophisticated Ladies on Broadway around 1980-1982. I can't remember the exact year.
John H. Armwood
By DeNeen Brown
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 28, 2010; 6:02 AM
These words, written by musician Wynton Marsalis, appear projected onto a screen on the softly lit stage, all dreamy-like. An ode to Duke Ellington:
"He didn't sleep at night. He was the greatest flirt -- ever. . . . He believed that there were two kinds of music: the good kind and the other kind. He was the world's most prolific composer of blues, blueses of all shapes and sizes. . . . Wrote music in all 12 known keys and some keys that are still unknown. . . . Wrote music about the human experience; if it was experienced, he stylized it. In other words, Duke Ellington had a lot on his mind."
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I had the pleasure of seeing the original cast perform "Sophisticated Ladies on Broadway around 1980-1982. I can't remember the exact year.
John H. Armwood
George Cables tips his hat to Miles Davis - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com
George Cables tips his hat to Miles Davis - The Star-Ledger - NJ.com: "
 The Star-Ledger - NJ.com | George Cables tips his hat to Miles Davis The Star-Ledger - NJ.com Lisa Kyle/ For The Star-Ledger‘Miles spoke to me, influenced me,’ says jazz pianist George Cables, shown at his home in ... |
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Christian McBride And Inside Straight On JazzSet
Christian McBride And Inside Straight On JazzSet: "
As the artist in residence at the Detroit Jazz Festival, bassist Christian McBride leads a five-piece band in front of thousands of fans. The band performs McBride originals, plus tunes from Freddie Hubbard and Duke Ellington.
(Via Music Genre: Jazz & Blues.)
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Regina Carter: Translating African Folk To The Jazz Violin
Regina Carter: Translating African Folk To The Jazz Violin: "
Carter's new album marks a new direction for the jazz violinist: The record interprets African folk songs, both traditional and contemporary. Carter and members of her band recently visited NPR to explain and perform songs from Reverse Thread. (Via Music Genre: Jazz & Blues.)
Around The Jazz Internet: May 21, 2010
Around The Jazz Internet: May 21, 2010: "
News and notes from around the Web, including Eric Hobsbawm's side hustle, an open call for Nextbop submissions, some epic Richard Davis features, Sam Rivers meets Mosaic Records (again), and two commenting firestorms (and two too many).
(Via Music Genre: Jazz & Blues.)
National Jazz Museum in Harlem 2010 June Schedule - The Grateful Web
National Jazz Museum in Harlem 2010 June Schedule - The Grateful Web: "
National Jazz Museum in Harlem 2010 June Schedule The Grateful Web Tonight young trumpet master Jeremy Pelt will confront topics not usually addressed by musicians and the jazz public, as we pursue a month-long ... and more » |
Monday, May 24, 2010
Jazz festival is part of a healthier Atlanta scene | accessAtlanta
Jazz festival is part of a healthier Atlanta scene | accessAtlanta: "By Jamie Gumbrecht
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Even as the Atlanta Jazz Festival was ousted from Piedmont Park for two years and lost financial support from the cash-strapped city, it wasn’t because the city's jazz scene was fading.
In fact, when the festival returns this weekend for its 33rd edition, it comes back to a crowd hungry for free music on Piedmont Park’s meadow and a scene bolstered by good venues and better musicians. more...
British jazz musician John Dankworth dies aged 82 - Wikinews, the free news source
British jazz musician John Dankworth dies aged 82 - Wikinews, the free news source:
British jazz musician Sir John Dankworth, said to be "one of the totemic figures of British jazz" and "the first major jazz musician" by Jazzwise magazine, died at the age of 82 in the King Edward VII Hospital in London, England on Saturday after being hospitalised with an undisclosed illness for the last few months. His family and his agent made the confirmation of the obituary.
He was born in Essex on 1927 to a family of musicians. He started playing the clarinet after being musically influenced by Benny Goodman. During the 1950s, he became an active jazz artist with his group, the Dankworth Seven. While auditioning for singers for the group in 1950, he met Dame Cleo Laine, who later became his wife.
Dankworth, who had been working in the British jazz music industry for over 60 years, was the musical director to other famous jazz musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Charlie Parker. He was also the composer of the theme music for television programmes The Avengers and Tomorrow's World, as well as writing the music score for 1966 film Modesty Blaise. Johnny Dankworth, as he was often known by, was appointed CBE in 1974 and was knighted in 2006 - to become Sir John Dankworth - for his services to music. One of the last performances from John Dankworth was at the London Jazz Festival in November 2009, where he played the saxophone while sitting in a wheelchair. Dankworth also had two children - Jacqui, his daughter and Alec, his son. Both are now jazz musicians.
British jazz musician Sir John Dankworth, said to be "one of the totemic figures of British jazz" and "the first major jazz musician" by Jazzwise magazine, died at the age of 82 in the King Edward VII Hospital in London, England on Saturday after being hospitalised with an undisclosed illness for the last few months. His family and his agent made the confirmation of the obituary.
He was born in Essex on 1927 to a family of musicians. He started playing the clarinet after being musically influenced by Benny Goodman. During the 1950s, he became an active jazz artist with his group, the Dankworth Seven. While auditioning for singers for the group in 1950, he met Dame Cleo Laine, who later became his wife.
Dankworth, who had been working in the British jazz music industry for over 60 years, was the musical director to other famous jazz musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and Charlie Parker. He was also the composer of the theme music for television programmes The Avengers and Tomorrow's World, as well as writing the music score for 1966 film Modesty Blaise. Johnny Dankworth, as he was often known by, was appointed CBE in 1974 and was knighted in 2006 - to become Sir John Dankworth - for his services to music. One of the last performances from John Dankworth was at the London Jazz Festival in November 2009, where he played the saxophone while sitting in a wheelchair. Dankworth also had two children - Jacqui, his daughter and Alec, his son. Both are now jazz musicians.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Swing stops: Japanese jazz mag fails - Jazz Beyond Jazz
Swing stops: Japanese jazz mag fails - Jazz Beyond Jazz:
Swing Journal, the magazine promoting American jazz in Japan since the end of WWII, ceases publication with its June issue. According to editor-in-chief Takafumi Mimori, "We will make efforts to revive it somehow," but the monthly publication known for its photography, articles by U.S. as well as Japanese commentators and previously robust support from electronics firms and instrument manufacturers has suffered a serious decline of advertising revenue.
Playlist for Continuum, A Journey Through Jazz - "The Atlanta Jazz Festival" :: eJazzNews.com : The Number One Jazz News Resource On The Net :: Jazz News Daily
Playlist for Continuum, A Journey Through Jazz - "The Atlanta Jazz Festival" :: eJazzNews.com : The Number One Jazz News Resource On The Net :: Jazz News Daily: "It's completely free, absolutely legal, and in full CD Quality – and you can download it right now:
http://www.soulandjazz.com/category/continuum-–-a-journey-through-jazz/episode-6-the-atlanta-jazz-festival-–-part-one/
This week our journey through jazz takes us to the City of Atlanta, GA where we are preparing for one of the best & biggest free jazz festivals in the world – meaning that it doesn't cost anything, not that it's focused solely on the genre of 'free jazz'. . . on the contrary, there is quite an eclectic line-up which will surely appeal to all tastes.
So, to whet your appetite, this episode features all the artists performing in Piedmont Park on Saturday, May 29th . . . starting with bass legends Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller (both or whom are appearing at the Atlanta Jazz Fest this year) and Victor Wooten with a funky update of the Miles Davis classic 'Tutu', followed by some unreleased music composed and performed by local Atlanta jazz artist's Jay Norem & Keith White in the style of Monk, as well as a live Brazilian influenced performance by Steven Charles . . . moving on to an exciting new album from Trombone Shorty, and a peek at some of his earlier work . . . continuing with the Latin jazz groove of Esperanza Spalding, and a collaboration with Stanley Clarke . . . you'll hear the funky side of Miles with Marcus, followed by a reunion jam with Marcus Miller and David Sanborn on a Tower Of Power classic, as well as something modern and expressive from Christian Scott . . . and ending with the positive and soulful vibe of Julie Dexter.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Hank Jones, Versatile Jazz Pianist, Dies at 91
Hank Jones, Versatile Jazz Pianist, Dies at 91: "Mr. Jones spent much of his career in the background, then became a popular nightclub headliner around the time he turned 60."
(Via NYT > Home Page.)
Hank Jones, reigning jazz pianist, dies, age 91 - Jazz Beyond Jazz
Hank Jones, reigning jazz pianist, dies, age 91 - Jazz Beyond Jazz: "moderate modernist with beautiful touch and exquisite taste, Hank Jones was a beacon of gentle authority, genuine modesty and jazz grace at the keyboard. Oldest brother of the more unruly trumpeter-composer Thad Jones and drummer Elvin Jones, Hank epitomized balance, consistency and flexibility. It was a joy to be in his company, whether listeni"
Sunday, May 16, 2010
JazzVision - Cannonball Adderley Sextet - Work Song - Jazz Scene USA
JazzVision - Cannonball Adderley Sextet - Work Song - Jazz Scene USA: ""
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This site has some great videos!
Once I had a long conversation with the cornetist Nat Adderley. He was a very interesting man. He reminded me of my father's family. They were both from Florida and my dad knew the Adderley brothers father when he was young.
John H. Armwood
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This site has some great videos!
Once I had a long conversation with the cornetist Nat Adderley. He was a very interesting man. He reminded me of my father's family. They were both from Florida and my dad knew the Adderley brothers father when he was young.
John H. Armwood
JazzVision - Miles Davis Walkin
JazzVision - Miles Davis Walkin: ""
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The second great quintet, Miles on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Ron Cater on bass and Tony Williams on drums.
John H. Armwood
JazzVision - Coltrane, Tyner, Garrison and Jones - Jazz Casual
JazzVision - Coltrane, Tyner, Garrison and Jones - Jazz Casual: ________________________________________
Afro Blue
John H. Armwood
JazzVision - Charles Tolliver
JazzVision - Charles Tolliver: ""
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Great big band. I saw them at the Atlanta Jazz Festival.
John H. Armwood
JazzVision - Thelonious and Theodore
JazzVision - Thelonious and Theodore: ""
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Monk and Rollins. Two masters, both great to see alive.
John H. Armwood
JazzVision - Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Dat Dere
JazzVision - Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Dat Dere: ""
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Master drummer and band leader Art Blakey featuring Lee Morgon on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax as well as Bobby Timmons at the piano with Jimmy Merritt on bass. This is some of my favorite music.
John H. Armwood
JazzVision - Dexter Gordon in Europe 1964
JazzVision - Dexter Gordon in Europe 1964: ""
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One of my favorite tenor saxophone players. I was lucky to see him many times.
John H. Armwood
JazzVision - Billie Holiday - Fine and Mellow 1957
JazzVision - Billie Holiday - Fine and Mellow 1957: ""
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What else can be said about LadyDay!
John H. Armwood
JazzVision - WOODY SHAW - STEPPING STONES
JazzVision - WOODY SHAW - STEPPING STONES
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One of the most interesting trumpet players of the 60s 70s and 80s. I had the good fortune of seeing him play Many time. Take a look at this video to see him at work.
John H. Armwood
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Arts | Westchester: Film Series Brings Jazz into Focus
Arts | Westchester: Film Series Brings Jazz into Focus: "The music and its artists are notoriously difficult to pin down. But the choices at the Burns Film Center do a good job of it."
(Via NYT > N.Y. / Region.)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Latin percussionist Francisco Aguabella dies
Latin percussionist Francisco Aguabella dies: ""
Los Angeles, May 9 (AP) Francisco Aguabella, the Cuban-born percussionist whose Latin rhythms backed up Peggy Lee, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon, has died.
He was 84.
(Via eJazzNews.com : The Number One Jazz News Resource On The Net.)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta Presents a WCLK Benefit Concert June 19th 2010
Rialto Center for the Arts: ""
For nearly four decades Jazz 91.9 WCLK has influenced the appreciation of Jazz as a cultural art form. And, on Thursday, June 10 at 7:30 p.m., music lovers can experience the vocal prowess and piano infusions of Carmen Lundy. The Bobby Watson - Curtis Lundy All Star Quintet featuring Sean Jones will round out this top night of Jazz that you don't want to miss. The Jazz 91.9 WCLK benefit concert will also include performances by Pianist Orrin Evans and Drummer Eric Kennedy.
The program includes two acts opening with the outstanding band bolster by seasoned Saxophonist Bobby Watson, booming Bassist Curtis Lundy and Sean Jones, lead trumpeter for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Following act one, Jazz Vocalist and Composer Carmen Lundy will perform music from her new album, Solamente in addition to timeless classics that you know and love.
Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 7:30pm
Monday, May 10, 2010
Remembering Lena Horne’s Contributions to Race Relations
Remembering Lena Horne’s Contributions to Race Relations: "
Reading about the life of Lena Horne, who died Sunday at age 92, I was struck by the indignities she faced as an entertainer of color and how she consistently stood up to racism throughout her career.
The singer-actress has the distinction of being the first black woman to sign a contract with a major studio, MGM. Content with her singing career, Horne wasn't keen on breaking into film, as she didn't like the way blacks were portrayed on screen in the 1940s--as domestics, mammies, jungle natives, etc. Her contract stipulated that she would never play a maid, the Washington Post reported. With then NAACP Executive Secretary Walter White at her side, Horne worked to counteract the entertainment industry's tendency to cast blacks in stereotypical roles. Read more... (Via About Race Relations.)
Lena Horne, Sultry Singer and Actress, Dies at 92
Lena Horne, Sultry Singer and Actress, Dies at 92: "Ms. Horne was the first black performer with a major studio contract, and she achieved international success in nightclubs and on records."
(Via NYT > Home Page.)
Saturday, May 08, 2010
At Trumpeter's Home, the Door's Always Open
At Trumpeter's Home, the Door's Always Open: "Wynton Marsalis's Manhattan apartment is a haven for musicians and other characters, including a young trumpeter from Rochester who has now made a name for himself."
(Via NYT > N.Y. / Region.)
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