Diana Krall live @ Sava Center Belgrade, tonight! Celebrating "Elle" story and the victory in "DownBeat"

Tonight, November 21, Diana Krall brings her "Quiet Nights World Tour 2009" to the ultra-modern Sava Center in Beograd (aka Beogradski, aka Beogradu), located in a new beautiful new city area called "New Belgrade," here in Serbia. In a few hours, she will join the stage celebrating the fact that, for the third consecutive year (2007, 2008 and now 2009), she topped the DownBeat Readers Poll, being voted the Best Female Singer ahead of Cassandra Wilson (who won in 2005 and 2006) and Ithamara Koorax (who placed #3 for the second consecutive year).
DK is also featured in the November 2009 issue of the "Elle" mag sold in Srbija, Crna Gora, Bosnia I Hervegovina and Maledonija.
Cheers!!!

(Arnaldo DeSouteiro reading the "Elle" story)

(Diana Krall: Best Female Singer in the 74th Annual Down Beat Readers Poll)

(On our way to the hotel in New Belgrade)

The Sava Center represents a unique architectural edifice, consisting of an imposing congress hall, concert hall, commercial and business area, book store, banks, restaurant, serving national and international cuisine, café-bar’ shopping malls and antique shops, as well as the Hotel Inter-Continental Beograd.

Sava Center has unprecedented reputation in organizing the biggest international congress meetings, as well as art events, for almost three decades. The success history comes from the impressive architectural and infrastructure capacity as well as highly experienced congress organization team. The Sava Center is ranked among the leading European convention and cultural centers. Its membership in ICCA, AIPC, ISPPA, ILMC - the major international associations of convention and cultural centers - is a confirmation of the fact that Sava Center is held in high esteem worldwide.

Sava Center has hosted over 7,000 gatherings and manifestations, national as well as international, with more than 1,500,000 participants, and also some 8,000 cultural events attended by more then 6,500,000 spectators. The Sava Center is a place visited daily by thousands of people from Belgrade , not just for business, but also pleasure, spending time in restaurants and shops.

Within the A and B building complexes , there are 14 assembly rooms suitable for all kinds of meetings and gatherings on different topics and with different number of participants. Sava Center boasts 3.300 m2 of exhibit space (Exibition Area A and Exibition Area B) and additional 29000 m2 of open space, suitable for staging commercial, professional and art exhibitions.

Diana Krall: sold-out concert in Belgrade, Nov 21

Sava Centar je najveći kongresni, kulturni i poslovni centar u našoj zemlji i jedan od najvećih u Evropi, čija delatnost obuhvata organizaciju kongresnih i svih vrsta umetničkih skupova i manifestacija.

Izgrađen 1977. godine, Sava Centar predstavlja moderan kompleks smešten u jednom od najlepših delova Beograda, udaljen svega pet minuta od centra grada i 15 minuta od aerodroma Beograd . U njegovoj neposrednoj blizini nalaze se hoteli deluxe kategorije Hyatt Regency i Hotel Continental Beograd, koji zajedno sa Sava Centrom čini jedinstven arhitektonski prostor sastavljen od tri celine: poslovna zgrada – objekat "A", velika kongresno koncertna dvorana – objekat "B" i Hotel Continental Beograd.

Sava Centar je savremeni centar izuzetne domaće i međunarodne reputacije, koji više od tri decenije uspešno organizuje najveće međunarodne kongresne skupove i umetničke manifestacije. U Sava Centru je do sada održano preko 8.000 domaćih i međunarodnih skupova i manifestacija, sa više od 1.600.000 učesnika, kao i preko 8.000 kulturnih događaja, kojima je prisustvovalo više od 7.000.000 posetilaca. Sava Centar je bio domaćin niza velikih međunarodnih kongresnih skupova kao što su OEBS, Generalna Skupština Svetske banke i Međunarodnog Monetarnog Fonda, Generalna Skupština UNESCO-a, 9. Samit nesvrstanih zemalja, Skupština EBRD, Svetski kongresi rudara, ortopeda, stomatologa, hirurga ... kao i mesto gostovanja najvećih imena svetske umetničke scene. U Sava Centru se već godinama održavaju značajne kulturne manifestacije kao što su FEST, BEMUS, BITEF …

Sava Centar je član značajnih međunarodnih kongresnih i umetničkih asocijacija, kao što su ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association), AIPC (The International Association of Congress Centres), ISPA (International Society of the Performing Arts), ILMC (International Live Music Conference).
Diana Krall Koncert
Velika dvorana - Sava Center
21. novembar, 21:00
Cena ulaznica: 3000, 4000 i 5000 din.

Sjajna kanadska džez pijanistkinja i pevačica Dajana Krol /Diana Krall/, jedna od najvećih zvezda moderne džez muzike prvi put gostuje u Beogradu, u okviru svetske turneje na kojoj promoviše novi album „Quiet Nights”.

Dajana Krol rodjena u britanskoj kolumbiji počela je sa prvim nastupima u svojoj 15. godini kao džez pijanista, da bi u 17.godini, dobivši stipendiju Vankuverskog džez festivala, započela studije na Berkli koledžu/ Berklee College of Music/ u Bostonu. PreselivšI se u Los Andželes, počinje da nastupa sa poznatim pijanistom Džimi Roulsom /Jimmy Rowles/, što joj je omogućilo kontakte sa utucajnim profesrorima i producentima.

Dajana Krol 1993, izdaje svoj prvi album, “Stepping Out”, a zatim slede ”Only Trust Your Heart” (1995), “All for You: A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio” (1996), album koji je bio je nominovan za Grammy, “Love Scenes” (1997), “Jazz Vocal Album” (2000), “The Girl in the Other Room” i poslednji “Quiet Nights", objavljen marta ove godine.

Ovih dana je u centru pažnje i kao producent novog albuma Barbre Strajsend /Barbra Streisand/. Ploča „Love is the Answer” je debitovala na prvom mestu „Bilbordove” liste albuma, i u prvoj nedelji je prodata u čak 180.000 primeraka. Kritičari se bukvalno utrkuju ko će više pohvaliti album na kome se nalazi i nekoliko pesama koje je Strajsendova otpevala u pratnji Dajane Krol i njenog kvarteta.

- Odlično smo se zabavljali na snimanju. Igrale smo karte, razmenjivale tračeve i... mnogo jele! Dajana je veoma talentovana, a najviše sam uživala dok sam snimala pesme sa Dajaninim kvartetom. To me je podsetilo na vreme kada sam kao tinejdžerka pevala po klubovima - izjavila je Barbra Strajsend.

(Arnaldo DeSouteiro arriving at the Belgrade Airport)

Diana Krall : I posle jazz festivala dobar jazz u Beogradu

Ako vam je jazz oduvek izgledao kao muzika rezervisana za zrelo doba i dosadne bradate muškarce koji obožavaju šah, koncert Diane Krall poslužiće da zauvek razbijete predrasude i zaljubite se u modernu verziju jednog od najlepših muzičkih stilova na planeti. Centar „Sava", 21. novembar u 20.30

U jednom se svi slažu: Diana Krall jeste ime vredno poštovanja u svetu muzike. Ova Kanađanka norveškog porekla počela je da svira klavir sa svega četiri godine. Zahvaljujući ocu i njegovoj zaista velikoj kolekciji albuma lako je povukla njegov jazz gen, a zahvaljujući podršci porodice i napornom radu, svojoj odlučnosti i viziji, ona je žena za koju danas kažu: Ona ima sve!
I možemo reći da je baš tako. Sa četrdeset četiri godine, deset uspešnih ploča u diskografiji i karijeri dugoj šesnaest godina, ona je majka dvogodišnjih blizanaca, supruga Elvisa Costella i producent albuma najvećih zvezda savremene muzike. Uz njenu muziku najčešći pridev je moderan jazz. Kao naprodavaniji izvođač izdavačke kuće Verve, ona je dobitnica mnoštva Grammy i Juno nagrada, zna da je izuzetno fotogenična i svoj život opisuje kao „trenutno savršeni balans profesionalnog i personalnog".

Novi album Quiet Nights Diana Krall promovisaće i na koncertu u Beogradu. Biće to spoj novog i starog, autorskog, modernog i jazz standarda. Pored savršeno izbalansiranog života, Diana Krall redak je primer odličnog balansa u muzici kada su sviranje i pevanje u pitanju. Jedinstvena duboka nota u njenom glasu i preciznost klavira, dobra melodija i nežni tekstovi garantuju zamišljen pogled i osmeh koji nećete moći da kontrolišete posle koncerta u Centru „Sava".

Ulaznice za beogradski koncert, po cenama od 3000, 4000 i 5000 dinara, mogu se kupiti na blagajni Centra „Sava", i u prodajnim mrežama Bilet servisa, Eventima i servisa Card.

- Tanja Bogdanov

Dajane Krol in Serbia - "Urban Flash"

"Bartoldijeva baklaja Dajane Krol" - Story about Dajane Krol, ie, Diana Krall in Serbian, mentioning arranger Klausa Ogermana (Claus Ogerman) published yesterday on "Urban Flash" magazine.

Tatiana Fontes DJing tonight @1-OAK in Manhattan

The most charming, beautiful and, let's say, electrifying DJ of the world, Tatiana Fontes will be DJing @ 1oak tonight in Manhattan! Victoria Secret Fashion Show After After Party! ;)
1-OAK
453 West 17th St., NYC, NY
Ph: (212) 242-1111
RSVP@1OAKNYC.COM

"audiosapiens" live in São Paulo tonight!

Tonight, November 19th, the rock band audiosapiens will be doing the release concert of their self-titled debut CD, produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro & Téo Lorent, at Saraiva MegaStore @ the Ibirapuera Shopping in São Paulo. Wish I could be there! Good luck, guys! Quebrem tudo!
The current members of audiosapiens are Willy Guevara (vocals), André Motta (drums), Rico Oliveira (electric bass) and the newcomer Orlando Machado (electric guitar).

Press-release (Portuguese):
audiosapiens

Pelo meio dos anos 80 toda a energia do rock foi entregue aos braços dos românticos ingleses. As raízes de fúria e engajamento foram trocadas por nuances de lirismo e sonoridade bucólica, e o audiosapiens (Willy Guevara – voz; Rico Feoli – baixo; André Motta – bateria; Orlando Machado – guitarra) extraiu da poética existencialista inglesa a força criativa de sua obra.

Hoje, os formadores de opinião de plantão decidiram que o rock tem de ser bobo ou “malaco”. Mas não consultaram o audiosapiens. Com sonoridade e musicalidade calcados no bom gosto, a banda mostra que não é formada por “malacos”. Muito menos por bobos. Utópicos, talvez. Afinal, o que seria do mundo sem a utopia? O que seria do rock sem a poesia?

Talvez mais importante que saber de onde vem a banda, suas influências, seja imaginar onde ela quer chegar. O audiosapiens quer ir longe. Para isso, elegeu como sua língua o espanhol, uma das mais faladas no mundo. A língua de Cervantes e Neruda mudou as composições trazendo vigor a algumas, emoção a outras.

Em agosto de 2008 a banda foi ao estúdio registrar o trabalho, produzidos por Arnaldo DeSouteiro e Téo Lorent, com participações especiais de Fábio Veroneze, Fábio Pinto, José Cardillo, Mauro Braga, Mingo Jacob, Nelton Essi, Orlando Machado e André Nicolau. As gravações terminaram somente em fevereiro de 2009, mas valeu a pena o esmero.

Você pode se sentir perdido em algum momento entre os anos 70 e 80, ou se surpreender com um jazz pelo meio do álbum, mas não vai encontrar nada bobo, “malaco” ou desnecessário. E audiosapiens garante: pelo menos uma destas canções pode parecer inspirada em você.
**********
Press-release (Spanish):
audiosapiens

A mediados de los 80, toda la energía del rock fue entregada a los brazos de los románticos ingleses. Las raíces de la furia y el compromiso fueron cambiadas por sugestiones del lirismo y la sonoridad bucólica. Así fue como audiosapiens (Willy Guevara – voz; Rico Oliveira – bajo; André Motta – batería; Orlando Machado – guitarra) extrajo de la poética existencialista inglesa la gran fuerza creativa de su obra.

Hoy en día, los críticos de opinión abierta decidieron que el rock tiene que ser bobo o “pendejo”. Pero no consultaron con audiosapiens. Con sonoridad y musicalidad, la banda proba que no es formada por “pendejos”. Mucho menos bobos. Utópicos talvez. Al final, ¿qué seria del mundo sin la utopía?. O ¿qué sería del rock sin la poesía?

Talvez más importante que saber de dónde viene la banda, suyas influencias, sea imaginar dónde la banda quiere llegar. audiosapiens quiere ir lejos. Para esto, elegió el español como la suya. La lengua de Cervantes y Neruda cambió las composiciones, sumando fuerza a unas, emoción a otras.

En Agosto de 2008, la banda encaró la fase de grabación del CD, producidos por Arnaldo DeSouteiro y Téo Lorent, y las participaciones especiales de Fábio Veroneze (mesa de sonido, y guitarras), Fábio Pinto (guitarras), José Cardillo (teclados), Mauro Braga (cello), Mingo Jacob (percusión), Nelton Essi (vibrafone), Orlando Machado (guitarras) y André Nicolau (guitarras).

Puedes sentirte perdido en algún momento entre los años 70 o 80, o sorprenderte con un jazz por la mitad del álbum, pero no vas a encontrar nada bobo, “pendejo” o innecesario. Y audiosapiens le asegura: al menos una de ellas puede parecer que fue inspirada en ti.
***********
Press-release (English):
audiosapiens

In the middles 80’s all energy of rock felt in the arms of the English romanticism. The root of fury and engagement was changed by lyricism and aerial noise, and audiosapiens (Willy Guevara – voice, Rico Oliveira – bass, and André Motta – drums, Orlando Machado – guitars) extracted from the British poetic the creative force of its work.

Now a days the opinion makers decided that rock must to be silly or “bad boy”. But they didn’t ask about to audiosapiens. With sonority and musicality, the band prove they are not “bad boys”. And they are not silly, too. Maybe, they’re utopians. After all, what would be made of the world without the utopia? What would be made of the rock without the poetry?

Maybe more important than to know where a band come from, and its influences, is to know what the band wants to reach. audiosapiens wants to go far away. For that, they made an option for the Spanish as its own language. The language of Cervantes and Neruda changed the lyrics, making some of it stronger, adding emotion to anothers.

In August, 2008, the band started working on their first studio album, produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro and Teo Lorent in São Paulo, with special guests Fabio Veroneze (chief engineer & guitars), Fabio Pinto (guitars), Jose Cardillo (keyboards), Mauro Braga (cello), Mingo Jacob (percussion), Nelton Essi (vibraphone), Orlando Machado (guitars), and André Nicolau (guitars). The sessions were only completed in February 2009, but it was worth to wait.

You can feel lost somewhere between the 70’s and the 80’s, or be surprised by a jazz mood in the half of a track. But you certainly will not find nothing silly, “bad boy” or unnecessary. audiosapiens assure: at least one of it can be like inspired by you.

CD of the Day - "audiosapiens"

CD of the Day
audiosapiens: "audiosapiens" (NH 7357) 2009

Release Date: November 19, 2009
Recording Date: Aug 2008-Feb 2009
Produced by Arnaldo DeSouteiro & Téo Lorent

CREDITS
Willy Guevara - Vocals
André Motta - Drums
Rico Oliveira - Bass (Electric), Bass (Fretless), Album Design
Orlando Machado - Guitar (Electric)
Fábio Veroneze - Engineer (Recording), Guitar (Electric), Guitar (Acoustic)
Mauro Braga - Cello
Léo Pereira - Cover Photo, Liner Photos
André Nicolau - Guitar (Electric)
Nelton Essi - Vibraphone
José Cardillo - Keyboards
Fábio Pinto - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Mingo Jacob - Percussion
Nerval Filho - Engineer (Mixing)
Tuca Camargo - Piano (Acoustic)
Ramede Felix - Liner Photos
Adonias Jr. - Digital Mastering
audiosapiens will be doing a CD release event tonight, November 19, at 8pm, @ Saraiva MegaStore of the Ibirapuera Shopping in São Paulo.

Diana Krall live in Budapest

Jazz diva Diana Krall performs tonight, November 18, at 8pm, @ Papp László Budapest Sportaréna (Budapest XIV. Stefánia út 2; nearest subway stop: “Stadionok”), in Hungary.

R.I.P.: Neco (Daudeth Azevedo)

We were saddened to become aware, only today, of the passing of Neco. As far as we know, not a single word about his death was published in the Brazilian press nor in Europe or Japan. For me, such scandals are not a surprise anymore...

Born Daudeth Azevedo in Realengo, a suburb area of Rio de Janeiro, on September 23, 1932, he was one of Brazil's most underrated musicians ever, being ignored by the "musical press snobs" and having never achieved the popular fame he surely deserved. But, fortunately, despite such big injustice, he never stopped working, remaining active as one of the most-in-demand studio musicians in the Rio de Janeiro studio scene for over four decades. Neco died in August 2009 in his apartment in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, being survived by his wife Ieda.

Arnaldo DeSouteiro had the chance to work with him back in 1998, during the recording sessions of the all-star benefit project "Street Angels," produced by DeSouteiro for the London-based label Mr. Bongo. Neco played acoustic guitar on a track composed by saxophonist José Carlos Ramos (aka Zé Bigorna), titled "Porangaba," which also happened to be Bigorna's debut track as a leader.

Neco, who had done his recording debut exactly 41 years earlier, on a 78rpm disc by Ruy Rei, was mainly a self-taught musician, who learned to play acoustic guitar and cavaquinho (a kind of Brazilian ukelele) by himself, listening to records. He later studied harmony with Guerra Peixe and Moacir Santos.

He played in over 500 albums by such artists as Chico Buarque ("Meus Caros Amigos"), Ivan Lins ("Juntos"), Elizeth Cardoso ("A Cantadeira do Amor," "O Inverno do Meu Tempo"), João Bosco ("Tiro de Misericórdia", "Galos de Briga"), samba greats Jamelão, Monarco, Cartola, João Nogueira and Martinho da Vila, the king of baião Luiz Gonzaga, many many albums by samba singer Beth Carvalho (including "Andança," "Pandeiro e Viola" and "Pra Seu Governo", having performed live concerts with her for over 20 years), the vocal groups MPB 4 (on their masterpiece album "10 Anos Depois") and Quarteto Em Cy ("Querelas do Brasil"), the samba-pop duo Antonio Carlos & Jocafi ("Ossos do Ofício," "Definitivamente"), Brazil's first lady of chorinho Ademilde Fonseca ("A Rainha do Chorinho"), Miltinho ("Miltinho & Sexteto Sideral"), Maria Creuza ("Sessão Nostalgia", "Maria Creuza e Os Grandes Mestres do Samba"), Clara Nunes ("Guerreira"), Sonia Santos ("Crioula") and even operatic singer Maria Lucia Godoy ("O Canto da Amazonia"), plus Tito Madi, Johnny Alf, Elis Regina, Wanderlea and on Roberto Carlos' debut LP, "Louco Por Você," never reissued on CD.

Neco was a member of the legendary Os Ipanemas, Erlon Chaves' Banda Veneno, Deodato's Os Catedráticos and Durval Ferreira's Os Gatos. He recorded with fellow guitarists Raphael Rabello, Dino 7 Cordas, Codó, Bola Sete and Luiz Bonfá, and took part on several sessions by such arrangers as Gaya, Radamés Gnatalli, Lyrio Panicalli, Orlando Silveira, Leo Perachi, Nelsinho, Eumir Deodato, Waltel Branco, Severino Araujo, J.T. Meirelles, Maestro Gallo, and José Roberto Bertrami (great jazzy solos on "All My Songs"). Not to mention instrumentalists like K-Ximbinho, Zé Bodega, Jacob do Bandolim, Aurino, Raul de Barros, Dom Salvador and Julio Barbosa. Neco was also the uncredited guitarist on the easy-listening bossa albums arranged by Luiz Eça, Deodato and Maestro Cipó for the Ipanema Pop Orchestra.

Curiously, Neco became a cult-name in the European acid jazz scene of the 80s and 90s mostly due to his recordings with the piano-less quintet Os Ipanemas. Their self-titled debut album - recorded in 1966 for CBS by the group co-led by trombonist/arranger Astor Silva, with Rubens Bassini on percussion, Wilson das Neves on drums and Sebastião Marinho on bass - was reissued in 1995 in England by David Buttle's Mr. Bongo label, selling very well. One of the tunes, "Java," co-written by Neco, became a cult dancefloor hit.

Later on, besides the already mentioned "Street Angels" CD for Mr. Bongo, another UK label, Joe Davis' Far Out, convinced Neco and Wilson das Neves to re-form the group, producing a new album titled "The Return of Os Ipanemas" in 2001 - with both Wilson and Neco pictured on the front cover -, followed by "Afro Bossa" (2003), "Samba Is Our Gift" (2006) and "Call of the Gods" (2008), often with the help of musicians like Azymuth's drummer Ivan Conti (Mamão), Jorge Helder, Zizinho and Dom Chacal.

Besides the heavy sounds of Os Ipanemas, other recordings by Neco achieved great success in the international dancefloor scene, specially the ones with singer Tania Maria (her debut album "Apresentando Tania Maria" on the Continental label, with Edson Machado), keyboardist Deodato's Os Catedráticos band (Neco played electric guitar on "Impulso" and "Tremendão"), and two acclaimed sessions with Argentinian tenorist Gato Barbieri (on the albums "Chapter One: Latino America" and "Chapter Two: Hasta Siempre" for the Impulse! label). Not to mention an all-star session for Oswaldo Cadaxo's Equipe label in 1964, "Samba Nova Concepção"; Neco played acoustic guitar and wrote all the arrangements, with Deodato and Tenório Jr. on the pianos. Btw, he also played electric guitar superbly - check out Severino Araujo & Orquestra Tabajara's "Série Depoimento Vol.1" for Odeon, which marked the Tabajara revival in 1975.

However, only four albums were released under Neco's name as a leader: "Coquetel Bossa Nova" (CBS, 1964), and three more for Odeon's subsidiary London label - "Velvet Bossa Nova" (1966), "Samba e Violão" (1967) and "Samba e Violão vol.2" (1968). Only one was reissued on CD: "Velvet Bossa Nova," digitally remastered by EMI in 2003 but now out-of-print. Rest in Peace, Neco!

Obama x Sarah Palin: Stand Up for Reform

"Dear Arnaldo:

Our records show that you are now located in California's 30th congressional district.

Right now, Sarah Palin is on a highly publicized, nationwide book tour, attacking President Obama and his plan for health reform at every turn.

It's dangerous. Remember, this is the person who coined the term "Death Panels" -- and opened the flood gates for months of false attacks by special interests and partisan extremists. Whatever lie comes next will be widely covered by the media, then constantly echoed by right-wing attack groups and others who are trying to defeat reform.

As we approach the final sprint on health reform, we can't afford more deception and delay. We need to be ready for anything -- and have the resources to respond with ads, events, and calls to Congress when the attacks come. So we're setting a big goal: $500,000 in the next week to help push back against Sarah Palin and her allies.

Please chip in $5 to help reach our goal.

Earlier this month, Palin publicly said that she hopes health reform will be "dead on arrival." And since then, she's been working fiercely toward that goal. On Tuesday, Palin went on Rush Limbaugh's radio show where she outrageously -- and falsely -- suggested that Americans could "face jail time as punishment" if they don't buy insurance.

Palin has many more interviews scheduled on Hannity and other conservative shows in the next few weeks, with more platforms to go after the President. As soon as she does, the rest of our opponents will likely parrot those attacks.

We need to be prepared. And we're counting on you help. Can you chip in $5?https://donate.barackobama.com/SarahPalin

Thanks,

Mitch Stewart

Director - Organizing for America"

NEA Jazz Masters Concert in NY, Nov 20

NEA JAZZ MASTERS CONCERT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 8PM (Open Discussion @ 7PM)

Tickets: $40 / $32 Members / $20 Student Rush

Three Jazz musicians who are personal friends and have all received NEA Jazz Masters Award, Americas most prestigious award bestowed to musicians who have dedicated their life to Jazz, come together on stage at Flushing Town Hall to honor each other in a special concert featuring music composed by each of them.

NEA Jazz Masters Jimmy Heath, saxophone, Frank Wess, flute & saxophone, and Barry Harris, piano, are joined by trombonist Benny Powell, drummer Tootie Heath and bassist David Wong in a concert filled with love, music, and incredible musicianship.
Learn More / Buy Tickets

Flushing Town Hall

137-35 Northern Boulevard

(718) 463-7700 Flushing, NY, 11354

Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts is a not-for-profit organization which receives major support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, and Councilman John Liu. Additional Support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Legislature, New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency.

Manfred Eicher & Gary Giddins in conversation @ CUNY

Jazz Legacies
Manfred Eicher & Gary Giddins in conversation
November 19th, Thursday, 6:30pm, Proshansky Auditorium

In this final Jazz Legacies conversation of the semester, Gary Giddins speaks with producer Manfred Eicher about his label’s impressive four decade run at the forefront of jazz. Manfred Eicher founded ECM Records in 1969 and established an early reputation with standard-setting recordings by Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley, Jan Garbarek, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, and others. ECM, with Eicher consistently at the helm, has now issued over a thousand albums.

All Center for the Humanities events are held in the Graduate Center, CUNY (365 Fifth Ave btwn 34th & 35th).
For more information please call 212/817.2005 or e-mail ch@gc.cuny.edu

DK @ The Guardian - "Portrait of the artist"

Portrait of the artist: Diana Krall, jazz musician
Interview by Laura Barnett for The Guardian (UK)
November 16, 2009

What got you started?
"My family. My dad's mum and dad were coal-miners; they had a piano, and loved music like Fats Waller. Then on my mother's side, there were 10 kids, all Lutherans – so I had the whole Lutheran hymn influence on top of that."

What was your big breakthrough?
"Getting a record deal when I was 26 – although I was still playing seven hours a night in piano bars to support myself until my 30s, when I started touring."

Who or what have you sacrificed for your art?
"Time away from the people I love. I've been home a total of three weeks this year. But I take my children with me often as I can. I'm often in a hotel, ordering them room service, washing their clothes in the sink, then doing my shows at night and getting up at 7am."

What advice would you give a young musician?
"You don't really need to give anyone advice: if they want to do it, they'll figure it out. I think it's the other way round – I get inspired by young artists."

Is jazz different for women?
"The other night my [male] guitarist was in a restaurant, met a bunch of people and was invited to a party, and was out till five o'clock in the morning. I thought: "I want to go to a restaurant by myself and see if I can get invited to a party!" But it's just different."

What's the worst thing anyone has ever said about you?
"A newspaper journalist once called me a "cow" in print. I was pregnant when I did the interview, but I couldn't tell any-one. I'd just thrown up, and when I sat down I got stage fright. But I think the guy was actually just in love with me."

Complete this sentence: At heart I'm just a frustrated ...
"Ice-skater. Downhill skier. Hockey player. Inner-tube racer. Astronaut."

What's the best advice anyone ever gave you?
"Shut up and sing." It's what I tell myself every night on stage when I'm talking too much.

Which other living artists do you most admire?
"My husband [Elvis Costello]. Sam Taylor-Wood. Sonny Rollins. Nick Lowe. And the great Haida [native Canadian] artists Robert Davidson and Don Yeomans."

What one song would work as the soundtrack to your life?
"I don't know. I'm not done yet. Can you ask me when I'm closer to the light?"

In short

Born: Nanaimo, Canada; 1964.

Career: Has won two Grammy awards and released 14 albums; Quiet Nights, is out now on Verve.

Low point: "The most devastating thing was when my mum died. Then I met Elvis [Costello] and we wrote [the 2004 album] The Girl in the Other Room about it. But I don't see my career in terms of highs and lows."

Diana Krall - Happy Birthday in Milan

Diana Krall celebrates her 45th birthday on stage, performing tonight, November 16, at Teatro Arcimboldi, in Milan, Italy, at 9pm. Backed by Anthony Wilson (guitars), Robert Hurst (bass) & Karriem Riggins (drums), she will present songs from her two latest releases: the "Quiet Nights" CD (Verve) and the "Live in Rio" DVD (Eagle Vision/ST2), plus some special surprises.
Link for a lovely slide show by Sergio E. Benitez:
http://dedicadoadianakrall.blogspot.com/2009/11/happy-birthday-diana.html
Happy B-Day DK!
QUIET NIGHTS
La classe, l'eleganza, la voce di Diana Krall.
L'incredibile pianista jazz canadese presenterà dal vivo i brani contenuti nel suo ultimo album "Quiet Nights".

Tix prices (Biglietti):
DA (ESCLUSO DIRITTO DI PREVENDITA) 75,00 Euro
A (ESCLUSO DIRITTO DI PREVENDITA) 42,00 Euro

Jana Vasileva: A Star is Born

Some days ago, I was fortunate to meet in Sofia one of the most incredible and most promising singers I've known in years! Born on August 9, 1984, Jana Vasileva is an amazing talent, gifted with a beautiful tone, warm & fresh approach and excellent choice of material. Listening to Jana singing Glenn Miller's old hit "At Last" at the Sofia Live Club gave me goose bumps due to her adventurous phrasing and impressive range. The purity of her voice also sounds fascinating on the two tracks - "Wave" and "Dindi" - she recently recorded for a "Tribute to Jobim" project by Bulgarian artists.

Having had the opportunity to work briefly with her in an arrangement of "Girl from Ipanema," she surprised me by singing the Portuguese lyrics with almost no accent. "The first time I heard bossa nova was 5 years ago," Jana explains. "My teacher at that time, Angel Zaberski, gave me some of Antonio Carlos Jobim's CDs, and I couldn't stop listening to them. I also love Ithamara Koorax and Gal Costa."
Although listing Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan among her favorite jazz vocalists, Jana says she listens a lot to such pop artists as Angie Stone, Sade, Beyonce and Gwen Stefani. "Currently, my favorite singers are Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Lil' Kim and the reggaetón star El Medico," she reveals. Obviously, this absence of prejudice helped a lot in making her a highly versatile artist, equally impressive in multiple contexts. Add her stunning beauty to such an astonishingly seductive stage persona and you have an astounding new diva ready to impress the world. Welcome, Princess Jana!

Weather Report memorabilia: concert posters

DVD of the Day - "Weather Report: Live in Cologne 1983"

DVD of the Day
Weather Report: "Live in Cologne 1983" (MegaVision)

Diana Krall: two gala concerts in Italy

Tonight, November 15, at the Sala Sinopoli @ the Auditorium Parco Della Musica, Diana Krall performs with her quartet as one of the main attractions of the 33th Roma Jazz Festival.

Buy Tickets

Tomorrow, she celebrates her birthday on stage, appearing at the Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan. Buy Tickets
Official press-release of the Festival:

Domenica 15/11/2009 Sala Sinopoli, ore 21 Acquista

Fondazione Musica per Roma presenta Diana Krall

Un evento di Roma Jazz Festival 2009

Biglietti: Platea: 90.00 euro Galleria da 50 a 75 euro Biglietteria 892982 (Clicca e visualizza i costi del servizio)

Riduzioni: Parco della Musica Card, giovani fino a 26 anni, over 60 anni, American Express, Feltrinelli, Carta Per Due, Interclub, ACI, Bibliocard, Carta Giovani e cral convenzionati

Diana Krall piano, voce
Anthony Wilson chitarra
Robert Hurst contrabbasso
Karriem Riggins batteria

Per il Roma Jazz Festival arriva la cantante e pianista jazz canadese Diana Krall, fiore all’occhiello della produzione discografica recente della storica etichetta Verve, che presenterà dal vivo i brani contenuti nel suo dodicesimo album “Quiet Nights”. Anche in questo caso, attraverso le sue nuove interpretazioni di classici della musica brasiliana, Diana Krall saprà creare un’atmosfera intima unica e coinvolgente. In scaletta “Quiet Nights”, versione inglese dell’intramontabile classico della bossa nova “Corcovado” di Antonio Carlos Jobim dal quale l’album prende il nome, una versione profondamente soul di “You’re My Thrill“, una nuova appassionante versione di “Este Seu Olhar” di Jobim, e ancora di classici come “The Boy From Ipanema”, “Where Or When”, “Too Marvelous For Words”, “So Nice”. Figlia d’arte, Diana Jean Krall è nata nel 1964 a Nanaimo, nella Columbia Britannica. Ha frequentato il Berklee College of Music di Boston, poi l’ambiente musicale di Los Angeles e New York. Il suo debutto discografico risale al 1993 con “Stepping Out”. Al terzo album, “All For You” (A tribute to the Nat King Cole trio), arrivano la nomination per il Grammy Award e i primi posti nelle classifiche jazzistiche. Nel dicembre 2003 sposa Elvis Costello, sotto la cui influenza inizia a comporre propri pezzi. Il primo album di inediti fu “The Girl in the Other Room” del 2004: è il disco di “Temptation”, intrigante rilettura in chiave jazzistica di un pezzo di Tom Waits.
Queste le opere successive: “Christmas Songs” (2005), “From This Moment On” (2006), “The Very Best of Diana Krall” (2007), “Quiet Nights” (2009).