Monday, May 18, 2009

Phil Norman Tentet @ Jazz Bakery, tonight

Tonight, May 18, The Phil Norman Tentet are donating their evening as a fundraiser to assist the Jazz Bakery in its relocation.

featuring:
Ron Stout (trumpet), Christian Jacob (piano), Larry Koonse (guitar), Carl Saunders (trumpet), Dave Tull (drums), Brad Dutz (percussion), Kevin Axt (bass), Andy Martin (trombone), Roger Neumann (baritone sax), Rusty Higgins (alto & soprano sax) and Phil Norman (tenor sax)

plus the following arrangers, Grammy Award winners and nominees:
Bob Florence, Med Flory, Kim Richmond, Roger Neumann, Alan Broadbent, Tom Kubis, Scott Whitfield, Bruce Eskovitz, Jackson Stock

Tonight, May 18
Tickets: $30
$15 for students 21 and under
for reservations online: click here
By phone: 310-271-9039 (JB res line)
Brown Paper Tickets: 800-838-3006
or go to http:jazzbakery.org

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Diana Krall: "Quiet Nights" scheduled for UK release in June

DK's “Quiet Nights” CD will at last be officially released in England on June 1st 2009, as a special edition CD (catalog number 2704935, containing two bonus video performances) and digital download.
You can pre-order:
HMV UK
http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;-1;-1;-1;-1&sku=933540
(best price: £8.99)
Amazon -
http://zaphod.uk.vvhp.net/v-v/090507083728
iTunes -
http://zaphod.uk.vvhp.net/v-v/090507083435

"Monk", the stage play, tomorrow @ Blair Mansion

Get Your Tickets For Laurence Holder's "MONK
A one-man show starring Rome Neal
All evening shows begin @7pm
Sunday Matinees begin @4pm

Admission all shows: $20(Group discounts - info to come)
Premiers: Sunday, May 17, 24 & 31, #PM
BLAIR MANSION
7711 Eastern Avenue
Silver Springs MD, 20812
RSVP Tickets 301-588-1688
The Washington DC Jazz Network
Tickets $35.00 advance
$40.00 at door
10 or more $30.00 each
Students w/ID $25.00All you can eat buffet: 2pm ($15.00)

ORGANIZE A BUS TRIP TO SEE "MONK" Church groups, School group, Listening groups, Jazz Societies, Neighborhood groups
CRITICAL PRAISE FOR "MONK" THE PLAY
Official website:

Win Tix To A Passion Pit Concert Cruise

You know it's almost summertime when the Rocks Off Concert Cruises start up, and this is going to be a good one! Next Monday night, May 18th, Passion Pit will be performing aboard the Temptress on the eve of the release of their brand new album, Manners, which comes out the following day on French Kiss. Talk about a record release party -- a fun, great band, a boat ride up and down the Hudson, past the Statue of Liberty with the beautiful backdrop of the city skyline...hate to say, if you haven't got your ticket already it's sold out, but Other Music does have a pair of passes up for grabs for one lucky winner. To enter, email tickets@othermusic.com.
ROCKS OFF CONCERT CRUISE ABOARD THE TEMPTRESS
Boards at 7PM at 41st Street on the West Side NYC

R.I.P.: Wayman Tisdale

Wayman Tisdale (born June 6, 1964, Tulsa/OK; died May 15 2009, Tulsa/OK)

The electric bassist Wayman Tisdale died yesterday in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 44; the cause of death was bone cancer. Tisdale had started his jazz career after a successful career in basketball. He was a three-time all-American basketball player at the University of Oklahoma, played on the gold-medal-winning 1984 United States Olympic basketballteam and was a highly respected 12-year veteran of the NBA (National Basketball Association). He recorded twelve albums under his name which both made the jazz as well as the R&B charts. He was influenced by Stanley Clarke but achieved a very own voice on his instrument. Obituary: New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle (1), San Francisco Chronicle (2).
********
Wayman Tisdale Celebration of Life
Thursday, May 21, 2009, 11:00 AM
BOK Center
200 South Denver
Tulsa, OK 74103
(918) 894-4200

The Celebration will be will be streamed live starting at 10:00 AM CST at www.ktul.com

In lieu of sending flowers, at the behest of the Wayman Tisdale family, please send donations & financial contributions to:

Wayman Tisdale Foundation
c/o Paul Samuels
Morgan Stanley
2200 S. Utica Place, Suite 500
Tulsa, OK 74114
(918) 582-3211 or (800) 877-8651

Cards and letters can be sent to:
Regina K. Tisdale
c/o Friendship Church
1709 N. Madison Ave.
Tulsa, OK 74106

Alexa Weber Morales tonight @ Artichoke Festival and other upcoming gigs

Saturday, May 16th, 2009
Now We're Cooking with Gas! - 1:30pm
Artichoke Festival
Castroville, CA 95012
With Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow, opening for Average White Band! Funk, R&B and latin hits with vocals by Keith Hames, Terrie Odabi and Alexa Weber Morales, Prince Damons on keyboards, Akil Wemusa on bass, Eduardo Torres on drumset and Steve Kirby on guitar.

Coming South on US Highway 101 from San Jose/Santa Clara CountySouthbound traffic on US Highway 101, should exit 101 in Prunedale (approximately 17 miles south of Gilroy) at the junction of State Route 156, continue west for approximately 6.2 miles to the Castroville exit, highway 183, turn right and follow signs to parking areas.

Saturday, May 30th, 2009
Alexa Solo - 7:00pm - 10:00pm
La Furia Chalaca
310 Broadway
Oakland, CA 94607510-451-4206
An intimate Peruvian restaurant in Jack London Square.

Friday, June 19th, 2009
SalsAlexa! - 10:00pm - 1:30am
Club Anton
428 3rd Street @ BroadwayOakland, CA 94607510.463.0165
Price: $10-15Alexa Weber Morales Band brings you danceable salsa, son, cha-cha and a few funky surprises at the swanky Club Anton in Oakland's Beautiful Jack London Square. The lovely Zareen joins on vocals! DJ Mambo spins nonstop hits before the show and between sets. Don't miss this chance to DANCE!!!!

Friday, June 26th, 2009
Monterey Bay Blues Festival - 7:00pm
Monterey County Fairgrounds
Garden Stage
Monterey, CA

Sunday, July 12 - 19, 2009
Garage Band Camp
Oakland Feather River Camp
5469 Oakland Camp RoadQuincy, CA 95971510-336-2267
Alexa will be back teaching music, latin rhythms, vocal and performance technique to children and adults at Oakland's beautiful camp in the Sierra foothills from July 13-19.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Diana Krall: last concert of the "Quiet Nights Tour" in Canada, sounding sexier-than-ever

After an exhaustive marathon of 20 concerts in 30 days, Diana Krall ends tonight, May 14, @ the Orpheum Theatre (in Vancouver, BC), the Canadian part of her "Quiet Nights World Tour". Surely it will be a hot night (hopefully not a rainy night like yesterday), despite the 12ºC. Getting better and better, she's really the talk of the town. You go girl!

Buy Tickets
Orpheum Theatre
884 Granville St.,
Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 1K3
Directions Parking Google Map

Tix prices:
Orchestra: CA $92.50 - CA $125.00
Lower Balcony: CA $79.50 - CA $92.50
Dress Circle: CA $92.50
Upper Balcony: CA $69.50 - CA $79.50
Diana Krall will, once again, proudly contribute $2 from the sale of each ticket to Heart and Stroke Foundation's The Heart Truth campaign, with special thanks to founding sponsor, Becel.

Tonight's setlist:
Love Being Here With You
Do It Again
Let's Fall In Love
I've Grown Accustomed To His Face
Frim Fram Sauce
Exactly Like You
A Case Of You
Devil May Care
P.S. I Love You
Quiet Nights
Love Letters
Pick Yourself Up
If I Had You
I Don't Know Enough About You
Encores:
The Look Of Love
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart
Three reviews of yesterday's concert @ Orpheum follow:

Diana Krall brings sexier-than-ever sound to the Orpheum
By Chantal Eustace, Vancouver Sun - May 13, 2009
Pics by the great Steve Bosch


Smooth-voiced jazz sensation Diana Krall brought plenty of heat to the Orpheum on Wednesday night, and her charm wasn't lost on the crowd.

For starters, the 43-year-old's latest sound is sexier than ever, drawing inspiration from Brazil and the bossa nova style, perfect for her come-hither pipes.

She has said of the music from her new album, Quiet Nights, that it's like "you're lying in bed next to your lover and whispering this in his ear."

And then there's the Nanaimo-born beauty's warmth, expressed as she punctuated songs with anecdotes and humour throughout the show.

Krall poked fun at everything from parenting — she is mother of two-year-old twins Dexter and Frank — to her marriage to Elvis Costello and being on tour during the hockey playoffs. She also spoke about growing up in B.C. And even her appreciation of the rain.

"There is no place like home," said Krall, gesturing to her sparkling red high heel shoes, a gift from her husband. "I am so happy to be home, as my shoes will explain."

Dressed in a simple black dress with her famous blond hair worn loose, she crouched at the piano, fingers dancing across the keys, her voice captivating her fans.

The concert began with the jazzy and up-tempo, I Love Being Here With You, before winding down a little with the dreamy song Let's Fall In Love.

The relatively mature audience, a mixed bag of Krall-hards seemed quietly appreciative of the music and her chatter, laughing at her banter and clapping loudly between songs.

It seems easy to enjoy crushing on the Grammy-winning star, who is most famous for her 2001 crossover hit, The Look Of Love.

Backed by talent from the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, as well as Krall's trusty musicians — including guitarist Anthony Wilson and drummer Jeff Hamilton — the charismatic singer held her own.

Especially when the tempo slowed down, as with the simmering I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face, Krall seemed in her element.

She introduced this song by saying it reminded her of Costello, later laughing about their union.

"I was the nerd at band camp who married the rock star," she said, grinning. "And I played third clarinet . . . and I had a perm."

She also spoke about her musical father, who she said, was in the audience that night.

“I grew up with a lot of music in the house,” she said, listing off early influences like Nat King Cole.

She also spoke about another important night where she was engulfed in music at the Orpheum. When she was 16 years old, she said, she saw the late jazz legend Oscar Peterson perform on that very stage.

She was so inspired by Peterson’s performance, she wrote him a 12-page letter that she never mailed. Later in her career, she said, she had the chance to play piano with him.

“I feel ill just thinking about it,” she said, smiling at the memory, before changing gears and rolling into the song, Exactly Like You, embroidered with the singer’s own unique vocal yarn.

Krall's distinctive pipes sound even better live, giving off a chilly kind of heat on songs like Walk on By.

The two-hour concert wound down with I Don't Know Enough About You, eventually getting the crowd out of their seats.

And for a very satisfying encore, Krall gave a whisper calm rendition of her biggest hit to date, The Look Of Love.

Mix all of this jazz with a cool and rainy Vancouver night? You get some serious steam.
**********
Lucky Vancouverites Get Into Krall Space
by Tom Harrison
Vancouver Province, May 14, 2009

As Diana Krall's show at the Orpheum Wednesday night suggested, you can take the girl out of Nanaimo but you can't take Nanaimo out of the girl.

Krall punctuated her concert with reminiscences of growing up in Nanaimo, revealing her first gig, which was in a sports bar, the day her father brought a phonograph to her school, meeting Oscar Peterson at 16 years old, and feeling reassured by the rain.

"It took a long time to finally come home," she said.

These memories added a human dimension that balanced what could have been formidable.

She's happily married, is a mother, is on a virtually sold-out tour, has an LP in the Top 10, has a movie in theatres this week, and has the luxury of not only a sympathetic band but the accompaniment of members of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Such asides as her playing of the erstwhile former Hockey Night in Canada theme, or a cruise ship version of husband Elvis Costello's "Pump it Up" changes the perspective.

She can be girlish but her lack of pretension makes her seem more real. And introduces personality.

Krall started the evening with little fanfare. She sat behind her piano, counted in "I Love Being Here With You" and she and her band were off.

Anthony Wilson, Robert Hirst (sic) and Jeff Hamilton each took one of many solos, Krall crying into her microphone "I love it."

This is a good introduction that never let down its promise. She was engaging as she was serious about the musicianship, yet as much interaction that was allowed, this is her show and she has kept everything as balanced as she has become. When the orchestra came in on the second song, the sultry "Do It Again," it was restrained, expansive rather than obtrusive. There is no tug o of war here between the subtle and ostentatious. The VSO is elegant support.

Krall returns to the Orpheum tonight.

**********
Krall at Her Most Vancouver-esque
by Fiona Morrow
Toronto Globe and Mail, May 14, 2009

There was no hiding how pleased Diana Krall was to be performing on home turf, Wednesday night in Vancouver. The Nanaimo-born jazz singer was relaxed and chatty, riffing on everything from hockey to a Nat King Cole playoff she once took part in against Oscar Peterson. "I did not win that one," she smiled.

Opening with Peggy Lee's "I Love Being Here With You," she was accompanied by her excellent band -- guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Jeff Hamilton -- as well as a sizable portion of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, conducted by her "dear friend", Alan Broadbent, for a lush, melodic, near two-hour set.

"I'm so happy to be here," she beamed, after a sigh-laden rendition of "Let's Fall in Love." "As my shoes will explain."

The footwear in question was a pair of fabulous red sparkly heels with peep-toes: ruby slippers, indeed. "I just clicked my heels in Halifax last night and, miraculously, here I am."

The shoes, it transpired, were a gift from husband Elvis Costello -- a name that cropped up repeatedly during the night, as though Krall herself was still getting used to the "band camp nerd marrying a rock star."

Later, more playfully, she introduced a track she said reminded her of Costello. "It's not 'Pump It Up' -- don't get excited," she quipped, before extemporizing on the thought of a future career on an Alaska cruise line playing the song in question with a bossa nova beat. In the end, it was the far more sultry, "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face," that was sung in homage to the man she married.

The Canucks were also on her mind -- she'd been planning to have their logo painted on her toenails -- inserting the old Hockey Night in Canada tune into "Exactly Like You" to the sell-out crowd's delight. Ironically enough, the evening was presented by CBC Radio 2 -- they must have winced to hear Krall say how much she missed the ousted theme.

George Bush's ears should have been burning, too: Krall segued into Jerome Kern's "Pick Yourself Up" (noting Obama's reference to the song during his inauguration speech) noting that the new President and First Lady, "hug you when you meet them. Unlike the other guy -- lots of Purell sanitizer spray is involved. And I'm not kidding."

But this was a night marked most clearly by the British Columbian gal revelling in the May rain (an unholy downpour on the night) and talking fondly of her childhood (her father and aunts were amongst the audience).

Though she mixed up the vocals, from bright to softly sexy to deep and mellifluous, her versatility was most notable in an impassioned version of Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You," where "Darling" became an accusatory rasp. Most heartfelt, though, was surely the title track from latest album "Quiet Nights," with its very Vancouver-esque lyrics: Quiet thoughts and quiet dreams, quiet walks by quiet streams / And a window looking on the mountains and the sea / How lovely. *********
Centro Mediterranean Grill (web site, phone 604-694-0202, address: 901 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada) is located on the corner of Smithe and Granville in downtown Vancouver (pictured below). Their website describes that Centro is a popular lunch spot for lawyers and judges from the nearby courthouse, and it’s also a popular place for night-time concert-goers being really close to the Orpheum Theatre and Granville Street night clubs.
Concert and nightclub-goers are turning on to Centro’s convenient proximity to most of Vancouver’s late night venues. Whether you are attending a Diana Krall concert at The Orpheum or going to shake your bon bon at The Caprice or The Commodore Ballroom, Centro will get you there in style and with time to spare. We’re located within easy walking distance of movie theatres, dance floors and the entire Entertainment District. Centro specializes in late night, Mediterranean style dining. On weekends, you can even stop in for a bite after the show since our kitchen stays open until 1 AM.

The NY debut of the Acuna-Hoff-Matthisen TRio

In celebration of "Jungle City" (Alessa Records, to be released June 17 in the USA), the Acuna-Hoff-Mathisen Trio makes it’s US debut in New York on June 17th at the Iridium Jazz Club at 7pm, followed by a 10pm set at the 55 Bar and onto the Rochester Jazz Festival the next day, on June 18th. Founded in the Spring of 2008, the trio was formed when legendary drummer/percussionist Alex Acuna met two of Norway's greatest musicians, pianist Jan Gunnar Hoff and bassist Per Mathisen. Touring extensively throughout Norway in 2008 with club dates, festivals and clinics, the trio will mark it’s US debut with these three New York dates to celebrate their first recording as a trio.

IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB, June 17th at 7pm (EARLY SET!)
www.iridiumjazzclub.com

55 BAR, June 17th at 10pm (LATE SET!)
www.55bar.com

ROCHESTER JAZZ FESTIVAL, June 18th, 2009
www.rochesterjazz.com

"Jungle City’s" music stretches out in many directions ranging from acoustic modern jazz into floating electric landscapes over to high voltage electric music. Superior musicianship, interplay with a great deal of humor and love for the music, makes for dynamic solos where you can trace lines of jazz history from all eras of the music. This trio is searching in their own specific sphere into the future. This coming August 2009, Acuna/Hoff/Mathisen will also participate in Hoff's commission for Nordland Music Festival, due for premiére in Bodoe, Northern Norway. In addition, this Fall 2009 the trio embarks on an extensive European tour of Scandinavia, England, Germany and Austria, including a performance at London’s Cadogan Hall.
********
Alejandro Acuña was born in Pativilca, Peru, into a musical family. Alex taught himself how to play the drums from the age of four and by ten; he was already playing in local bands. As a teenager, he moved to Lima and became one of Peru's most accomplished session drummers. At the age of eighteen, Alex was chosen by the great Latin band leader, Perez Prado, to join his big band. It was with the Prado band that Alex first traveled to the United States. Alex moved to Las Vegas in 1974, where he played with such greats as Elvis Presley and Diana Ross. Between 1975 and 1977, he made part of jazz history when he became a member of one of the most innovative and pioneering jazz groups of our time, Weather Report. He first performed as percussionist, and later as a drummer. He recorded two albums with the group: "Black Market" (1976) and the highly successful "Heavy Weather" (1977). Alex next moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1978 where he quickly earned the position of a valued session drummer and percussionist for recordings, television and motion pictures. His countless album credits include such diverse artist, U2, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Whitney Houston, Julio Iglesias and Placido Domingo and many more. Alex has also performed live with the likes of Al Jarreau, Arturo Sandoval, Paco de Lucia, Carlos Santana, Celia Cruz, Tania Maria, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Herbie Hancock, Christina Aguilera the London Simphony Orchestra and Tito Puente, to name a few. Additionally, Alex has recorded film scores under the direction of John Dabney, Dave Grusin, Alan Silvestri, Bill Conti, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Lalo Schifrin, James Newton Howard, Michael Giacchino, John Powell and others. He became the recipient of many awards and honors including the Emeritus MVP award from NARAS and winner of the "Best Latin/Brazilian Percussionist" of Modern Drummer's Readers Poll for more than five consecutive years. In 2000, Alex Acuña y Su Acuarelas De Tambores received a Grammy nomination for "Best Traditional Tropical Latin Album" for "Rhythms for a New Millennium". The nomination confirmed Alex's vast knowledge and expertise of percussion rhythms. Recently, Alex received two Latin Grammy nominations in 2003. One, for Los Hijos Del Sol "To My Country", which was released by his independent record label – NIDO Entertainment. The second Latin Grammy nomination came for Tolu's "Bongo de Van Gogh". In 2004, Alex released his follow up album to "Thinking of You" by Alex Acuña and the Unknowns titled "No Accent". In addition, Alex has composed music for various artists and co-produced "Rumberos Poetry" by Tolu.

Jan Gunnar Hoff, Norwegian piano player and composer educated at the Jazz Department, Trondheim Conservatory and at NMH, composition. Hoff has played and collaborated with Mike Stern, Pat Metheny, Kenwood Dennard, Maria Joao, Lars Danielsson, Cæcilie Norby, Fathy Salama, Martin France, Arild Andersen, Nils Petter Molvær a.o. In 1982 he was part of a national all star band performing Jan Garbareks composition for the FNJ, Norwegian Jazz Forum. In 1995 Hoff did a much heralded, impromptu duo performance with Chick Corea at the Harstad Festival in Northern Norway. Hoff has released five CDs with his own Jan Gunnar Hoff Group that consists of leading Norwegian jazz performers including; Audun Kleive, Bjørn Kjellemyr. This band has toured all over Scandinavia and played major festivals in London, Molde,Bergen, etc. In 2005 Hoff received the prestigious Edvard Grieg prize as a composer for his jazz mass Meditatus. He wrote the commission work "Free flow songs" for Vossajazz in 2005. Recently he has become a professor at the Tromsø University College and the University ofKristiansand. His last CD MAGMA (2008) has an international line up with Mike Stern, Maria João, Eivind Aarset a.o.

Per Mathisen graduated from Trondheim Jazz Conservatory and Berklee College of Music in Boston. He has been a freelance bass player based out of Oslo, Norway since 1994. Per M. is one of Norway's most sought after bassplayers, heard on countless TV/radio/CD recordings and has released two solo CD's to great reviews, entitled, "Northern Crossings" on Candid Records, London and "Unbound" on Alessa Records,Austria. Per Mathisen has toured and performed in as many as 26 different countries and has played with, among others: Hiram Bullock, Bill Bruford, Mike Stern, Gary Husband, Marilyn Mazur, Geri Allen, Adam Nussbaum, Gary Thomas, Tery Lynne Carrington, Maria Joao, Jojo Mayer, Jerry Donohue, Nguyen Le, Ralph Peterson, George Garzone, Benjamin Schmid, Ole Mathisen, Tony Moreno, Paolo Vinaccia, Olga Konkova, Stian Carstensen, Jon Christensen, Terje Rypdal, Gerald Preinfalk, Martin Koller to name a few. Per is a member of the bands NYNDK, Olga Konkova Quartet, Ensemble Denada, Gerald Preinfalk's Guiffre Zone & Tango go, Sernet å fyre, Hans Mathisen Quartet, Stringzone, The New Memphis Orchestra.

"The Essentials of Teaching Jazz", in June, @ Lincoln Center

(click on the image to enlarge and get all the details)

Join the California Listening Tour

Dear Arnaldo:

My name is Mary Jane Stevenson, and I'm the new California State Director for Organizing for America. Our records show that you live in California's 23rd district.

This week, don't miss the opportunity to join the California Listening Tour when we're on the ground in your neighborhood.

Please join us, and let us know how you'd like to see California organized. If we're going to help pass an agenda that will put our nation back on track, we need your suggestions for creating the specific plans that will work in your community.

Your effort was crucial in getting us this far. Now we can't let up -- it's just too important.

Sign up now to join the Listening Tour:http://ca.barackobama.com/ListeningTourCA

I look forward to seeing you,
Mary Jane Stevenson
California State Director - Organizing for America

Krall's interview on "The O'Regan Files" in Canada

Watch Diana Krall being interviewied by Seamus O'Regan in the opening night of a new talk-show, "The O'Regan Files," premiered yesterday on the Bravo! channel.
Here's the link:
http://watch.bravo.ca/#clip168799

Victory In The House Of Representatives

Message from Neil Portnow
********
Dear Arnaldo:

On Sunday, I wrote to you about an important legislative vote taking place today. The House Judiciary Committee voted on The Performance Rights Act, a bill that would close the "corporate radio loophole" and allow artists to be compensated when their recordings are played on terrestrial radio, just as they are on Internet and satellite radio.

There was a great deal of pressure from the broadcaster lobby to kill this bill, but they were no match for you. Thanks in large part to the thousands of calls and emails you generated in the past three days, the Committee voted in favor of the legislation.

In other words, we won.

There is still a long road ahead to turn this bill into law, and we will be calling on you for help again. But know that your efforts carried the day in the House of Representatives.

On to the Senate!

Kind regards,

Neil Portnow
President/CEO
The Recording Academy

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Diana Krall back on the block, tomorrow @ Orpheum Theater and on TV show

After two days dedicated to radio & TV programs, including an interview for the opening night of a new talk-show ("The O'Regan Files" on the Bravo! channel) as well as a complete TV special, Diana Krall performs tomorrow, May 13, the first of two concerts in Vancouver's Orpheum Theater, to complete the Canadian portion of her "Quiet Nights Tour".

884 Granville St.,
Vancouver, British Columbia V6Z 1K3
Tix prices:
Orchestra: CA $92.50 - CA $125.00
Lower Balcony: CA $79.50 - CA $92.50
Dress Circle: CA $92.50
Upper Balcony: CA $69.50 - CA $79.50
Diana Krall will proudly contribute $2 from the sale of each ticket to Heart and Stroke Foundation's The Heart Truth campaign, with special thanks to founding sponsor, Becel.

Setlist for tomorrow's concert:
I Love Being Here With You
Do it Again
Let's Fall in Love
Where or When
I've Grown Accustomed to His Face
'Deed I Do
Exactly Like You
A Case Of You
Devil May Care
Quiet Nights
Pick Yourself Up
Love Letters
'S Wonderful
Walk on By
I Don't Know Enough About You
ENCORES
The Look of Love
Originally opened on November 7, 1927 as a vaudeville house, the Orpheum was the largest and most opulent theatre on the Pacific Coast. The City of Vancouver purchased the theatre on March 19, 1974 and undertook a complete restoration of the theatre's interior. The Orpheum re-opened on April 2, 1977 as the permanent home of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and a restored concert hall that hosts a variety of pop, classical, choral and chamber recitals. It is also an ideal venue for concert recordings, conference sessions, seminars and film shoots.

Also tomorrow, "Bravo!" debuts a new original series that uncovers the full stories behind the artists. In "The O'Regan Files", premiering Wednesday, May 13 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT, journalist Seamus O’Regan conducts in-depth one-on-one conversations with arts luminaries and other prominent figures. Scheduled to follow Arts & Minds on "Bravo!," each episode explores various artists’ current projects, career ideas and inspirations. The half-hour series kicks-off with Diana, undoubtedly Canada’s most famous act in the current international jazz scene. She joins O’Regan to discuss her highly successful career, her new "Quiet Nights" CD and, of course, her current Canadian tour that ends this week.

Review published today in The Chronicle Herald about DK's previous concert, last Sunday, at the Halifax Metro Centre (Nova Scotia):

A lighthearted Krall mixes it up
Singer moves from mellow to fiery, messes with melodies
By STEPHEN COOKE
Tue. May 12 - 5:50 AM


Audiences at the Halifax Metro Centre aren’t used to quiet nights, whether it’s the eardrum threatening volume of an arena rock band or the shouts and taunts of a Halifax Mooseheads hockey game.

But the 3,500 people at jazz siren Diana Krall’s Quiet Nights Tour stop on Sunday night sat rapt for most of the evening as the B.C. singer-pianist, her trio and members of Symphony Nova Scotia presented a lush and mellow set of popular songs where, occasionally, you could listen in to the spaces between the notes and actually hear the building’s ventilation system whirring away.

Not that it was all mellow; Krall and her group kicked things off with a pell-mell I Love Being Here With You, flying along as Anthony Wilson played an agile solo on his retro-style Monteleone Radio Flyer guitar, turning the melody inside out while her longtime drummer Jeff Hamilton kept up the steady clip. Bassist Robert Hurst wore a grimace as his hands flew up and down the length of his instrument, while Krall took her solo with eyes half closed, lips pursed, sweeping the Steinway keys with her hands, tapping out musical Morse code and insistent chords.

Vibrato strings ushered in the seductive come-on of Do It Again. "You won’t regret, come and get it" purred Krall, casting subtlety to the wind as she played it against the beat creating a languid tension that was relieved by the leering sound of the flutes. Then, on an easygoing Let’s Fall in Love, muted trumpet stings accented the pianist’s artful messing with the melody, which also included a few snatches of the Hockey Night in Canada theme, apt for the venue.

"How are you doing? Happy Mother’s Day!" proclaimed Krall. "It’s always nice to be here in one of my favourite cities in Canada.

"My great-grandmother was born here, so I felt very much at home here, walking around in the fog and the rain today. Sunshine, unless I’m on holidays, just makes me feel anxious."

If any piece could soothe jangled nerves, it’s her Sinatra-inspired version of Rodgers and Hart’s Where or When, with a simple, atmospheric string arrangement conducted by Alan Broadbent. She sang it breathy, with an undercurrent of soul, while her solo sounded like raindrops tumbling on a grey afternoon spent summoning up old memories. She also opted for lush and lovely on a song by another great team, Lerner and Loewe’s I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face, sung not so much with a sense of longing or melancholy, but rather an acceptance of the comfort of an enduring love that’s well past its first blush, with a warmth expressed by the French horns swelling underneath the strings.

"That song kind of reminds me of my husband, who flew back yesterday with our sons Dexter and Frank," said Krall, invoking her partner, singer-songwriter Elvis Costello. "I’ll try to bring them next time.

"I know it’s not Pump It Up or All Shook Up for that matter. Being on the East Coast, I’ve had a lot of oysters, so tomorrow night I’ll walk through the door in Vancouver and be like, ‘Heyyyy’ " she grinned, before catching herself and scolding, "These are very serious songs, so sober up!"

Krall maintained a lighthearted tone throughout the evening however, tossing a distracting pencil from her piano into the crowd, before calling out to make sure she hadn’t impaled anyone, and discussing her days playing piano in a Nanaimo sports bar, where she’d occasionally accompany the hockey games on the TV "like they were a silent movie."

Other highlights included tributes to Nat King Cole on ’Deed I Do and Exactly Like You, which mysteriously transformed briefly into Don’t Worry Be Happy, while a hushed, introspective I Should Care morphed more purposefully into a late night confessional take on Joni Mitchell’s A Case of You. Burt Bacharach’s Walk on By traded in drama for despair, as the bittersweet darkness of the strings matched the emotional defeat perfectly expressed by Krall’s take on Hal David’s lyrics.

Krall wrapped up the main body of the show with a fierce I Don’t Know Enough About You, featuring one of Wilson’s best solos of the evening played with rapid finesse, and the pianist stretching from kitten-on-the-keys stuff to a torrent of notes and a blast of Night Train for good measure. The hearty standing ovation that followed firmly kicked any notion of quiet out of the room.

Au Revoir Simone's in-store performance in NY

UPCOMING OTHER MUSIC IN-STORE PERFORMANCE
AU REVOIR SIMONE: Monday, May 18 @ 8PM

A record release party celebrating Au Revoir Simone's much anticipated new album "Still Night, Still Light," which comes out the following day, but the ladies will have some copies to sell that evening for all you early birds. The first 30 people to buy their new CD will also get a FREE copy of "Reverse Migration," a collection of the band's favorite remixes and cover versions made from The Bird of Music.
FREE ADMISSISION / LIMITED CAPACITY
Other Music
15 East 4th Street,
NYC, NY 10003

Amanda Carr live @ The Hi Hat

Amanda Carr live tonight, May 12th, 7:30pm at THE HI HAT
1 Davol Square, Providence R.I.
with Vinny Pagano-drums, Peter Kontrimas-bass, John Wheatley-guitar.
No cover. Dinner available.
http://www.thehihat.com/ or call 401-453-6500

Mimi Jones previews her debut CD @ Kennedy Center, May 14

Mimi Jones brings her "magic sounds on the bass" to the Kennedy Center premiering her soon to be released debut CD, "A New Day" as part of the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival. Hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater, the festival marks its 14th thrilling year with three evenings of star-studded performances featuring the world's top female jazz artists including: Esperanza Spalding, Anat Cohen and the Anzic Orchestra, Janis Siegel, Carmen Lundy, and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. Mimi Jones, a.k.a. bassist and Kennedy Center favorite Miriam Sullivan, brings a top-drawer group with her as she returns to the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival following her star turn in the 2004 event.

Her much anticipated debut CD sneak preview performance is slated for Thursday, May 14 at 6:00 PM on the Millennium Stage located at 2700 F St., NW, Washington D.C., 20556. She is also the featured bassist in the band that will be accompanying the Fifth Annual Women in Jazz Competition the following day at the Terrace Theater. The event is free and for more information on Mimi Jones go to: http://www.MimiJonesMusic.com

New York native Mimi Jones (aka Miriam Jones) is a multi talented bassist, vocalist and composer whose elegant sound is an eclectic mix of genres based on a strong jazz foundation. In September 2009 she will release her debut CD, "A New Day," which is bursting with original compositions seamlessly melting from one song to another and caressed by the warmth of Mimi's sultry voice.

As a "sidewoman" Miriam Sullivan has shared the stage with such talents as the great Lionel Hampton, Roy Hargrove, Rachel Z, Sean Jones, Kenny Barron, and Joshua Redman. A graduate from the Manhattan School of Music she has also studied and mentored with Lisle Atkinson, Ron Carter, and Milton Hinton. She has toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States and participated in the Department of State and Jazz at Lincoln Center Rhythm Abroad Program.

Although Mimi plays acoustic bass, baby bass, electric bass, and numerous styles of music (including jazz, funk, hip hop, Cuban, free, folk, and pop) she thrives on remaining open to learning unfamiliar sounds. "I hope that my music sends a message of unconditional love and encouragement in order to let people know that we all experience the same things but in different ways. If we find the joy within eventually it will be all around us."

David Berger Jazz Orchestra's final show @ Birdland, May 19

Message from David Berger:
***********
Dear Arnaldo,

As of January 1st, we have changed the name of our band to The David Berger Jazz Orchestra. Our new website is in development, but you can access the old site at either http://www.davidbergerjazz.com/ or http://www.sultansofswing.com/.

After three glorious years, our residency at Birdland comes to a close next Tuesday night, May 19th. Sets are at 9pm and 11pm. This has been a great experience for us and we wish to thank the management and all of you who came to see us for making this possible. We are currently negotiating with a new venue and will let you know as soon as details are finalized. In the meantime, you can also dance and listen to the band at Pier 54 on the Hudson River at 14th Street on August 9th from 7-10pm.

We'll be going in to the studio to record a new CD in the upcoming months and will also be on your TV set this fall. More details coming soon!

Our latest CD I Had The Craziest Dream: The Music of Harry Warren has been getting a lot of airplay all over the US and has been featured on NPR. Check out our website or amazon.com for audio clips.

Wishing you a happy summer.
Ever onward and upward,
David Berger

Monday, May 11, 2009

New Diana Krall video: "Exactly Like You"

Take a look on "Exactly Like You" as performed by Diana Krall with John Clayton (bass), Jeff Hamilton (drums) and Paulinho da Costa (congas) on the forthcoming DVD/Blu-ray "Live in Rio", scheduled for release on May 26 by Eagle Vision in the USA and Canada (in Japan on May 27).
Permalink for the video:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m21G5H84RJ88D2
Enjoy!

Nine years after Eagle Vision’s multi-platinum DVD “Live in Paris” (6 times platinum in Canada) Diana Krall is “Live in Rio”! Cineplex Entertainment will be presenting the High-Definition premiere of DK's "Live in Rio" (filmed with 11 HD cameras) for one night only on Wednesday, May 20th at select Cineplex theatres across Canada.
Advance tickets are available online at
www.cineplex.com/events as well as at participating theatre box offices.

Performance Rights Vote Imminent

Message from Neil Portnow:
***********
Dear Recording Academy Member:

In February, I told our worldwide GRAMMY telecast audience about our quest for a performance right for artists whose music is broadcast on AM/FM radio.

My message today is for our insiders-Recording Academy members. We are at a critical moment in this pursuit, and now is the time to act. A vote in the U.S. House Judiciary Committee is imminent, so your representative needs to hear from you today or tomorrow (May 11 or 12).

Royalties are paid to performers by U.S. Internet radio and satellite radio, and by terrestrial broadcasters everywhere in the developed world. But in the U.S., AM/FM radio does not pay for the music it uses. The Performance Rights Act would close the "corporate radio loophole" that prevents artists from earning royalties when their work is used by the $16 billion radio industry. If you believe that performers should be compensated whenever another business profits from their work, please take three minutes and place a call to your legislator's office. It's quick and easy. Simply go to www.grammy.com/musicfirst and click "Call Now" for instructions.

Together, we can establish this important right for our music community.

Kind regards,

Neil Portnow
President/CEO
The Recording Academy

Ted Curson live tomorrow in NY @ Gillespie Auditorium

Join us for an exciting musical evening this coming Tuesday evening, May 12 when Trumpet Great Ted Curson brings his dynamic ensemble to the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium in the New York City Baha'i Center at 53 East 11th Street (between University Place & Broadway). This evening Ted Curson’s ensemble features Michael Cochrane on Piano, Gordon Lane on Drums, Toivo Unt on Bass, Lenny Argese on Guitar, Enrico Granafei on Harmonica, and Daoud David Williams on Percussion. There will be 2 shows at 8:00 and 9:30 p.m.

An outstanding and flexible trumpeter, Ted Curson is well-known for his work with Charles Mingus’ quartet (which also included Eric Dolphy and Dannie Richmond). He studied at Granoff Musical Conservatory; moved to New York in 1956; played in New York with Mal Waldron, Red Garland, and Philly Joe Jones; and recorded with Cecil taylor (1961). After the 1959-60 Mingus association (which resulted in some classic recordings), Curson co-led a quintet with Bill Barron (1960-65), played with Max Roach, and led his own groups. He spent time from the late ‘60s on in Europe (particularly Denmark) and then returned to the US in 1976. Ted Curson has led sessions for Old Town (1961), Prestige, Fontana, Atlantic, Arista, Inner City, Interplay, Chiaroscuro, and several European labels.

A dogmatic approach to playing one’s own way that has marked the work of his mentors - Mingus, Miles, Dolphy and Cecil - is what defines Curson’s incredibly difficult to pinpoint approach, one that seems to hit every adjective in the book while harping on none. At present he has over 20 solo albums to his credit. He is sought after as a music instructor and is in demand for jazz clinics and concerts at universities and music schools throughout the world.

Admission is 15.00, 10.00 for students.
Tickets will be sold at the door, or call 212-222-5159 for reservations and information.
***********
Jazz Tuesdays
in the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium
The New York Baha'i Center
53 East 11th Street (between University Place & Broadway)
Two shows: 8:00 and 9:30 p.m.

Jazz radio in Boston gets cut with big changes on WFNX & WGBH

Jazz host Jeff Turton announced today that WFNX FM has cancelled his show, The Sunday Jazz Brunch, as of his show yesterday after 26 years on the air on Sunday mornings.

“I got a call late last week informing me that this past Sunday would be my last show. The reason being given is budget cuts related to diminished revenues at both ‘FNX and at the Boston Phoenix. While I wasn't surprised, given the nature of the newspaper business and radio in general, I am incredibly disappointed. I’m not sure where to go next but I guess I'll sleep in for a couple of weekends and then figure it out. I still plan on being active in some way but everything happened pretty quickly so I really haven't had much of an opportunity to figure out what's next,” noted Turton in an e-mail Monday morning.

Legendary jazz concert promoter Fred Taylor weighed in. “I think it shows WFNX’s total lack of acknowledgement of Boston’s arts community. To cut one lonely jazz show like this which represents a basic American art form from the station’s 24-7 programming is unconscionable,” he said upon hearing the news.

“Jeff Turton has been a jazz resource for Boston listeners for 26 years. He hosted the go-to show on Sunday morning radio, and he will definitely be missed.” stated noted jazz writer and Marsalis Music Creative Consultant Bob Blumenthal.

Last week came the news that WGBH FM jazz host Ron Gill would be moving to North Carolina to live with relatives after 23 years on the radio here and the jazz scene held its collective breath and wondered who would be his replacement host. Then the word came that his show would be covered by another syndicated show taped on the west coast by Bob Parlocha.

Next there was a call from WGBH 9 year veteran jazz DJ Al Davis. “I can’t book any guests on the show until I speak with WGBH. They’ve called me in for a meeting and it sounds serious,” said Al to publicist Sue Auclair.

Tuesday, May 15 brought the news that ALL of the Jazz Gallery hosts would be departing at the end of May. That included Davis on overnight Fridays, 15 year veterin Kevin Ball overnight on Saturdays and Ron Gill, overnight on Sundays. Davis and Ball will be occasional substitutes for Eric Jackson’s “Eric In The Evening.”

All live-hosted weekend jazz shows will be gone, as of May 30 and the new programming will feature “Jazz With Bob Parlocha,” the program that is syndicated nationally and now already airs on 89.7 FM overnights on weeknights.

While it’s good that jazz will still be on the air on WGBH FM, it disconnects the regional audience from the live Boston experience, say some.

Eek-A-Mouse back in California, on May 22

After a sold-out concert at the Roxy, in West Hollywood, last May 2, Eek-A-Mouse will return to California on May 22, for a gig at Giovane's, in Salinas, followed by four other shows in LaCalifUSA, as Michael Franks calls my favorite city in the world.

Eek-A-Mouse's appearance on Roger Kellaway's CTI album "French-African Connection" (also released as "Creation" on Creed Taylor's Greene Street label in 1984) yielded the dancefloor hit "Creation," the title track that Mouse (born Ripton Joseph Hylton in Jamaica) co-wrote with Kellaway.a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QCcVhyphenhyphenyals3iXVwbMEmcCr8loipposiK3aGgpImWXyv39zf1tKo8hO86p3NOtRxCzUtUhyphenhyphenGLKNNuW70wIxqleBA0vF7K3P9zvyf0H4DTSofYWgsIXxcScxjqCfy0sgEe4goxYnPv0xM/s1600-h/CTI(Roger+Kellaway,French+African+Connection).jpg">Here's the complete schedule. You can click on the venue's names for tix info and other details.

FRI - May 22nd
Giovane's , Salinas, CA
THU - July 9th
Music In The Park , San Jose, CA
FRI - July 10th
Hollywood Park Racetrack , Los Angeles, CA
FRI - July 17th
Canes Bar & Grill , San Diego, CA
SAT -July 18th
Purple Haze Festival , Devore, CA
For more details about Mouse's collaboration with Kellaway, please check this post:

Maceo Parker live @ Jazz Cafe, May 21 & 22

Maceo Parker & his band
Featuring Dennis Rollins
Live @ Jazz Cafe, London
Thu 21 & Fri 22 May £22.50 Adv

I was introduced to Maceo Parker's artistry through his performance on the title track from Johnny Hammond's "The Prophet" album (on Creed Taylor's Kudu label), when I was 10 years old... It remained a personal favorite performance and, in 1997, I was able to reissue it for the first time on CD when producing/compiling the "CTI Acid Jazz Grooves" album, still the best-selling CTI compilation ever released in Japan.
Born to play the saxophone, Maceo toured and recorded with James Brown for many many years (when Brown's musical director was Pee Wee Ellis, not coincidently the arranger of that Johnny Hammond track) and has longed been famed for his inventive and mesmerising stage shows. His special guest on May 21 & 22 @ the Jazz Cafe in London will be Dennis Rollins, the top trombonist in UK's jazz scene, a fiery player who was influenced by our Raul de Souza - we are clearly in for a treat!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Diana Krall live tonight @ Halifax Metro Centre

Diana Krall brings her "Quiet Nights Tour" to Halifax in Nova Scotia, Canada. Tonight, Krall's quartet will be joined by members of the Symphony Nova Scotia, conducted by Alan Broadbent.

Halifax Metro Centre is located on Brunswick Street in the heart of Downtown Halifax, just below the old Town Clock and Halifax Citadel National Historic Site.
With seating capacity in excess of 10,000, Halifax Metro Centre is fully accessible to persons with disabilities, fully air-conditioned and includes 11 Executive Suites, 20 Skyboxes and VIP Lounge. There are also 2,700 parking spaces in the immediate vicinty.
All tickets $79.50 each
Click HERE to see seating plan

Price includes tax and service charge.Tickets subject to an additional $4 per order fee if ordered on-line.
AvailabilityTickets available to purchase at:
The Ticket Atlantic Box Office
Charge by phone at (902) 451-1221
the 17 participating Atlantic Superstore outlets
Online - click 'Buy Tickets' button above once onsale

Tix Limit: 8 tickets per person, account and/or credit card used for purchase.
Two dollars for every ticket sold to the Diana Krall “Quiet Nights” World Tour 2009 will be proudly donated to Heart and Stroke Foundation’s The Heart Truth campaign, with special thanks to founding sponsor, Becel.
GRAMMY Award winner and multi-platinum selling jazz artist Diana Krall is set back on the road in support of her brand new album, "Quiet Nights" (Verve). Krall will be joined onstage at the Metro Centre in Halifax by members of the Symphony Nova Scotia. Celebrating the release of “Quiet Nights,” Krall takes us on a romantic and intimate journey through the lush textures of her ballads and bossa novas, reuniting Krall with German genius arranger Claus Ogerman for the first time since the multi-platinum selling 2001 album “The Look of Love”.

Krall has topped both the pop and jazz charts, played sold-out amphitheatres all around the world and has sold millions of records since her debut in 1993. Her career exploded in 1999 after her album “When I Look in your Eyes” won a Grammy for best jazz vocal performance, and became the first jazz record to be nominated for Album of the Year in twenty-five years. In 2002, "The Look of Love" was a #1 bestseller in the US and a five-time platinum album in Canada. 2004’s "The Girl in the Other Room," focused on her songwriting (with six songs co-written with husband Elvis Costello). 2005’s "Christmas Songs" proved one of the season’s best sellers and 2006’s "From This Moment On" was an upbeat adventure on the jazz mainstream land with the support of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra.

Ramana Vieira live @ Yoshi's on May 26

Portuguese Fado Sensation Ramana Vieira will be celebrating the CD release of her new album "Lágrimas de Rainha" ("Tears of a Queen") with a performance at Yoshi's in Oakland, on May 26. Two sets: 8:00 & 10:00 pm

Yoshi's
Embarcadero West, Jack London Square
510.238.9200
www.yoshis.com
Located between Washington and Clay Streets around the corner from the Jack London Square Cinema Complex on Washington. Yoshi's is on the ground floor on the front side of the seven-story parking structure.
*******
Radio interview on KKUP 91.5 FM
Tune In and take a listen to some tracks from "Lágrimas de Rainha" on the Afrikan Jahmal Dayvs show on May 19, 2009 at 5:20PM

Called "a rising star in World Music" by the San Francisco Examiner, vocalist Ramana Vieira releases her new CD "Lágrimas De Rainha (Tears Of A Queen)" on the Pacific Coast Jazz label. Ramana Vieira has solidified her place as one of the premier world music artists who understands the tradition of Portuguese Fado singing, a melancholy and often-mournful music similar to the American blues, yet continues to creatively construct a path into the future by combining new musical textures and original compositions.
On the new CD, "Lágrimas De Rainha", Ramana paints sonic pictures that support her desire to invent a fresh Fado sound blooming from the ground of her own Portuguese family roots. Many of the songs on the recording are inspired by Ramana's main influence, Amália Rodrigues, known as the "Rainha do Fado" ("Queen of Fado") and who is attributed to popularizing the Fado worldwide. According to Ramana, "nobody else is doing what we are doing with Fado. Take the feel and groove of Shakira and the melodic textures of Dulce Pontes and that is how I would describe our music."

For more details and the album review:
http://jazzstation-oblogdearnaldodesouteiros.blogspot.com/search?q=%22Ramana+Vieira%22

Purchase "Lágrimas De Rainha" HERE

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Diana Krall live, tonight, @ the Moncton Coliseum

Tonight, May 9, at 8PM, Diana Krall brings her "Quiet Nights Tour" to the Moncton Coliseum in Moncton, New Brunswick (in Canada, of course). Another sould-out concert.
*******
Here's the review about DK's previous concert:

Krall Connects with PdA Audience
by Bernard Perusse
Montreal Gazette, May 7, 2009


When Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts is described as "intimate," it's only by a broad stretch of the word's usual meaning. But some gifted artists have been known to make the 3,000-seat venue seem so.

Still, you might not expect the often reserved Diana Krall to be among the performers who can pull it off.

With her crack trio -- guitarist Anthony Wilson, drummer Jeff Hamilton and bass player Robert Hurst -- and a full orchestra behind her, it was a smiling, outgoing and downright chatty Krall who faced the audience last night. Stories about her family were shared, self-deprecating jokes were casually tossed off and emotional contact was made.

The concert, clocking at just over two hours without intermission, deftly blended the melancholy and the joyful. A mesmerizing version of Joni Mitchell's A Case of You, with Krall alone at the piano, was quickly followed, for example, by a breakneck-speed version of Bob Dorough's Devil May Care, a tour de force for the quartet.

Not that the musicians didn't cook all evening. Krall's playful solo and come-hither vocal in the boudoir ballad Do It Again were marvelous, as was Wilson's cleanly played tightrope walk between lyrical beauty and complete abandon on I Love Being Here With You. The rhythm section of Hamilton and Hurst killed all night, but their finest moment might have been on Peggy Lee's I Don't Know Enough About You. This band seemed to be having fun, as only musicians who are really listening to each other can.

Yet it was the anecdotes and memories that brought much of the warmth: From the unsent letter Krall wrote to Oscar Peterson at 16 to the bus trip with her 2-year old twins, Dexter and Frank, last night, Krall seemed to let her guard down.

Introducing a song that reminded her of her husband, Krall said "...and it's not Pump It Up," before demonstrating a brief bossa nova version of the Elvis Costello classic.

The song was I've Grown Accustomed to His Face, and Krall proved her ever-growing gift as a stylist by making the My Fair Lady classic her own.

The spouse card was amusingly played several times. Recounting a performance for President Barack Obama and a hurried attempt to connect with first lady Michelle over children, she recalled the commander-in-chief's only question: "Your husband is Elvis Costello?"

"That put it all in perspective for me," Krall quipped.

The orchestra, which was there, in large part, to provide the bed of strings for selections from her bossa nova-flavoured new disc, Quiet Nights, visibly moved Krall with its work on Love Letters. "I don't really have to be here, do I?," she said.

Given the connection Krall had established over two hours, that might have been the funniest line of the night.

Kristin Korb & Desert Cities Jazz Band live, May 10

Don't miss singer/bassist Kristin Korb tomorrow, May 10, at Vicky's of Santa Fe in Indian Wells, CalifUSA.
"I'm a guest artist with the Desert Cities Jazz Band. I'm going to be having some extra fun with Don Shelton," says Korb. "It is a nice way to spend Mother's Day."

Friday, May 8, 2009

Bahama Soul Club tops RAI chart with new single

Starting as an instrumental among all of the new demos from the forthcoming Bahama Soul Club's album, John Turrell from "Smoove&Turrell" was directly inspired by this track, adding his "from the heart" lyrics about collecting rare vinyl and vinyl junkies. He serves a gospel flavoured and soul powered homage to those sought after, original 7's on a funky bahama bossa. Immediately released just as it was sung on the first take and rawly arranged to save that genuine feel from John's first recorded ideas.
Keeping with the rare vibe this 7" comes in pure pristine white vinyl and of course it is strictly
limited to 400 copies! There will be NO digital release of these tracks until next album is coming out ...
It's much more than an appetizer, it's really a gem, that you shouldn't miss!

SHOPS ...
JUNO deejay.de deep music HHV Fat City

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Kristin Korb live, tomorrow, @ Hip Kitty in Claremont

After a week in Colombia for the Ibague Jazz Festival, Kristin Korb is back in LA. Tomorrow, Friday, May 8, 2009 at 8PM, don't miss the ultra-stunning bassist/vocalist performing songs from her new "In the Meantime" CD live at the Hip Kitty in Claremont, CalifUSA - [map it]

502 W. First St.,
Claremont, CA 91711
Ph: (909) 447-6700
Free, Drink Cover, All Ages
Fondue, friends, and jazz make a great combination. Come on out and celebrate spring!
DJ Hobo plays from 11:30PM till 2AM

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Diana Krall: 2 concerts @ Place des Arts in Montreal

Place des Arts
Montreal, Quebec, CA
Buy Tickets

Tonight, May 6th, and tomorrow, May 7th, Diana Krall brings her "Quiet Nights Tour" to the Place des Arts in Montreal, at 8PM.

Setlist:
I Love Being Here With You
Do it Again
Let's Fall in Love
Where or When
I've Grown Accustomed to His Face
'Deed I Do
Exactly Like You
A Case Of You
Devil May Care
Quiet Nights
Summer Samba
Love Letters
'S Wonderful
Walk on By
I Don't Know Enough About You
ENCORE
The Look of Love

White Rabbits' in-store performance at Other Music, NY

UPCOMING OTHER MUSIC INSTORES
WHITE RABBITS: Monday, May 11 @ 8PM
The Brooklyn six-piece will be stopping by Other Music for a special live performance in support of their forthcoming album "It's Frightening" (produced by Spoon's Britt Daniel!). You'll be able to get your hands on an early copy from the band after the show, and exclusively at Other Music for the week leading up to the record's May 19th release date.

OTHER MUSIC: 15 East 4th Street NYC
Free Admission / Limited Capacity

João Gilberto's concerts in Spain are postponed

João Gilberto has just cancelled his appearance (on May 29) at the "Guitarra Madrid Festival", which will take place from May 15 to June 21.
However, as a kind of financial compensation to the promoters, he promised to do a special concert on July 18 at the "Palacio de Congresos".
In case you wanna buy tickets...
http://www.guitarramadrid.net/joao-gilberto.php

The second concert in Spain, at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, in Barcelona, scheduled for June 1st, was postponed to July 26.
http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:5-HOpnEWBNsJ:www.barcelonarocks.com/home_eng.asp+%22Jo%C3%A3o+Gilberto%22+%2B+%22palau+de+la+musica%22&cd=4&hl=pt-BR&ct=clnk&gl=br

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Krall live tonight @ K-Rock Centre in Kingston

Diana Krall performs tonight at K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario
Buy Tickets
Showtime: 8:00pm Doors:7:00 PM
Ticket Prices (incl. GST): $59.50, $79.50 or $99.50
Reserved Seating (plus FMF and service charges)
Directions and Parking:
http://www.k-rockcentre.com/directions/

Here follows the review of her concert @ National Arts Centre (Ottawa) last May 2.
**************
Krall Shows Off Her Many Sides
Singer, pianist also proves to be a joker
by Peter Hum
Ottawa Citizen, May 3, 2009

If that woman wheeling her twin toddlers around downtown Ottawa in a Hummer of a stroller looks a little extra weary, she has a good excuse. She was entertaining a full house at the National Arts Centre's Southam Hall on Saturday night.

Her name's Diana Krall. Perhaps you've heard of her, or like millions of others, have one of her CDs that's helped keep jazz from being elbowed out of mainstream culture?

BC Scene's musical closer presented more than a few sides of herself during the first of her two nights playing in Ottawa. She was the glamorous vocalist, the honey-maned girl in a dark evening gown, singing dreamy bossa novas and classic ballads her way.

She was a jazz nerd too. At the piano, she dropped bits of bebop and Billy Strayhorn melodies for music insiders. At the microphone, she gave shoutouts to her heroes Nat King Cole, Oscar Peterson and Bud Powell.

Perhaps most of all, Krall was also a good-time girl with no shortage of jokes.

She amused the audience when she revealed that her two-year-old twins were already fans of Maman, the National Gallery of Canada's giant spider sculpture, and that today she would be strolling with them, her famous hair in a scrunchie, her party dress swapped for Spandex pants.

A musical gag or two was also well-received, especially when Krall slipped the old Hockey Night in Canada theme into one of her piano solos.

The night began with Krall and her three backing musicians in fourth gear, speeding through I Love Being Here With You. She blazed through that song and later, Devil May Care, at a tempo that seemed almost frantic.

The night's second song, the swaying groover Let's Fall in Love, brought the intensity down a notch, but was more impressive and consistent, as Krall settled into a Basie-like groove, playing sparsely as her left foot stomped quarter notes.

But enough about Krall the pianist. What most people most likely came to hear was her voice -- which was in top form. That was most evident on the evening's bossas and ballads such as Where or When, Quiet Nights, Summer Samba, The Look of Love and S'Wonderful -- songs that the crowd greeted with whoops of recognition. Although Krall professes her musical debts to Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, and Cole, she's her own singer, someone who enthralls with marvellous timbre, phrasing that caresses the beat, and little slides and bluesy shifts that adorn her melodies with extra emotion. She was simply as good or better as she sounds on her million-sellers.

Krall's musicians knew exactly how to make her sound good and step out as required. Guitarist Anthony Wilson sparkled with every solo while bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Jeff Hamilton provided some magic-carpet swing and dazzle.