Kurt Elling to present Lifetime Achievement Award to Jon Hendricks @ the 31st Annual Bistro Awards, March 8

Kurt Elling to present Lifetime Achievement Award to Jon Hendricks
Jazz greats Annie Ross and Janis Siegel also honored at the31st ANNUAL BISTRO AWARDS GALA - Tuesday, March 8th

Multi-award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling will present the ASCAP Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award to Jon Hendricks at the 31st annual Bistro Awards on Tuesday, March 8 at 6:30 at Gotham Comedy Club.

Elling, who is also performing, has stated, "Jon is undoubtedly the greatest jazz singer alive and an internationally. His recorded scat solos stand up to those of the most accomplished improvisers of his generation; his lyrics are on a par with the masters of any genre of writing. He is living history, and his is the standard to which any jazz singer must aspire."

Mr. Hendricks co-founded the pioneering vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross in the '50s. Together with Dave Lambert and Annie Ross, he mastered the art of vocalese -- that of adding lyrics to instrumental compositions and instrumental solos, as well as complex vocal treatments for the Big Band arrangements of the likes of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Their work influenced countless well-known singers, including Van Morrison, Al Jarreau, and Bobby McFerrin.  As a solo vocalist, he has recorded several albums, made frequent television appearances, and toured extensively internationally, and he has served multiple times on the Kennedy Center Honors committee.

Being honored with a Bistro Award for her Outstanding Contributions to the World of Jazz, Annie Ross was part of the famed Lambert, Hendricks & Ross trio for six years. After leaving the group, she ran a jazz club in London and has enjoyed a long career in film and theatre. She has been a celebrated solo jazz vocalist for many years. Janis Siegel has been a member of Manhattan Transfer since 1973 and is also an acclaimed solo jazz vocalist; she is being recognized for Sustained Excellence in Jazz Performance and Recording, And being honored with a Bistro Award for Ongoing Artistry in Cabaret and Concert Performance is Christine Andreas, who has maintained an international career in theatre, television, concert halls, and clubs.

This year's other recipients and their categories are:
Jarrod Spector & Kelli Barrett / Major Engagement
"Another Hundred People” (KT Sullivan, Jeff Harnar, Sondra Lee, Jon Weber) / Musical Revue
Sharon McNight / Commanding Cabaret Artistry
Matt Baker / Ira Eaker Special Achievement Award
Molly Pope / Creative Cabaret Artist
Ann Dawson / Vocalist
Dawn Derow / Vocalist
Rob Sutton / Vocalist
Charlie Johnson / Entertainer
Aaron Morishita / Recording ("Singing Sondheim")
Urban Stages' “Winter Rhythms" (Frances Hill, Peter Napolitano) / Series

Hosting the 31st annual show is Jason Graae, whose varied career spans Broadway, Off Broadway, opera, television, and film. He is a four-time Bistro Award recipient for his various one-man shows which have toured all over the country and for his special musical material. This will be the fourth year in a row that the Bistro Awards show will be under the directorial helm of Shellen Lubin. A director, songwriter, performer, and vocal and acting coach, she has been in the forefront of attaining parity for women in the arts.

The gala event will be held on Tuesday, March 8 at 6:30 pm at Gotham Comedy Club. 208 W. 23rd Street. As is the Bistro Awards tradition, the evening will feature performances by nearly all of the winners. Sherry Eaker, the former longtime Editor-in Chief of Back Stage and the producer of the event since its inception, heads up the Awards Committee that includes BistroAwards.com critics Gerry Geddes, Roy Sander, Robert Windeler, and Mark Dundas Wood. Sander is also the award show's associate producer.

The Bistro Awards is sponsored by ASCAP. Premium Tickets are $120.00; General Admission tickets are $70.00. Ticket-buyers in both categories are invited to the "After-Bistros” party as guests of the Bistros.

For details about the various ticket categories and to purchase tickets, visit www.BistroAwards.com.

Press contact: Sherry Eaker
sherry@bistroawards.com
917-239-5467

Anna Mjöll back in Beverly Hills, this Saturday

Icelandic Jazz Princess and one of our favorite singers in the contemporary jazz scene, LA-based Anna Mjöll returns to the Dave Koz Lounge @ Spaghettini Beverly Hills this next Saturday, February 27. Don't miss!

Shu Odamura's "Cloud Illusions" comes out today; tomorrow, the guitarist performs in NY

The debut album as a leader by Japanese guitarist Shu Odamura, "Cloud Illusions," is being released today, Februray 24, in Japan by the jazz label What's New Records. It features Shu Odamura on acoustic guitar in an intimate interplay with Yoshiki Yamada (electric bass, acoustic bass) and Yutaka Uchida (drums). All 10 tracks were composed by Odamura and recorded at The Bunker Studio, in NY, in 2014.

Born in Kyoto, Japan, Shu Odamura is a New York-based guitarist & composer. He holds bachelor’s degree in jazz composition. He started taking guitar lessons at the age of 12. In 2003, Odamura competed in the Gibson Jazz Guitar Contest as a youngest and won the special prize. In 2006, He moved to Boston to study at Berklee where he was given the Toshiko Akiyoshi Award. His teachers include Jon Damian, John Wilkins, Diavid Gilmore (guitarist for Wayne Shorter), Greg Hopkins (arranger/trumpeter for Buddy Rich big band), Scott Free, and Ken Pullig.

As a guitarist, Shu has performed with various kinds of groups, such as jazz ensembles, pop/rock bands, church choirs, as well as his own jazz duo/trio. He has been credited on numerous recordings. In 2010, he played on Mina Cho’s album “Originality,” which led him to be selected in 3rd place in our 32nd Annual Jazz Station Poll on the "Acoustic Guitar" category. As a composer and arranger, he works for jazz orchestra, flute/saxophone ensemble, pop singers, and films. His minimal-music piece “Kitchen Talk” was selected to air on Ryuichi Sakamoto’s radio program in Japan. He recently composed music for a feature length movie entitled "The Wishmakers" which is available on DVD.

Tomorrow, February 25, he will be celebrating the CD release with a performance @ Tomi Jazz, located on 239 East 53rd Street, Lower Level (between 2nd-3rd Avenue) in New York, NY. Phone: 646-497-1254.

R.I.P.: David L. Reese

The Louis Armstrong House Museum is deeply saddened to announce the passing of David L. Reese, Louis Armstrong House Museum curator since 2012.

David Reese joined the Louis Armstrong House Museum with an impressive resume of historic preservation experience.  With a Masters in Historic Architecture from the University of Virginia, David had devoted his entire career to historic sites and historic preservation.  Michael Cogswell, Executive Director, recalls that "During weekends and vacations, David would typically visit other historic houses.  He truly loved the Louis Armstrong House and brought an enviable level of professionalism to the conservation and preservation of our site."  When asked about joining the Louis Armstrong House Museum Mr. Reese commented "I am honored to be appointed Curator of the historic home of one of America's greatest musicians, and thrilled to have a new role in the cultural life of New York City."

David was born in upper Westchester County, where he grew up in a historic home.  He entered the University of Virginia in 1970, and earned a BA in English, MA in English, and a MA in Historic Architecture.  His love of historic sites was enhanced by the grounds of the University, designed by Thomas Jefferson, and while an undergraduate he became a tour guide for Jefferson's Rotunda.  He was a member of the prestigious Raven Society.

David's career highlights included serving as Museum Director of Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden from 1981-1987, Curator of Gracie Mansion and Chief Officer of the Gracie Mansion Conservancy from 1987-2002 under Mayors Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani and Bloomberg and Resident Director of Gunston Hall, the historic home of George Mason from 2003-2012.  Mr. Reese authored “American Beaux Arts, 1870-1926" from The Elements of Style, a Practical Encyclopedia of Interior Architectural Detail published by Simon & Schuster in New York and by Mitchell Beazley Ltd. in London.  He also authored "Gracie Mansion" and "Inwood Park”, entries in City Streets published by the Little Bookroom in New York.

On Mr. Reese's passing, Donna Hanover first lady of the City of New York from 1994-2001 noted, "My dear friend David Reese was a fantastic Curator at Gracie Mansion during four Administrations, starting with Mayor Ed Koch.  He was incredibly knowledgeable, gracious, and dedicated to making that lovely historic house a warm home for me and my children as well as a welcoming place for thousands of visitors from around the world."

At the Louis Armstrong House Museum, David oversaw three major capital projects including the restoration of the Armstrongs' beautiful garden, which the Armstrongs designed for musical performances and entertaining.  David uncovered Louis Armstrong's life mask in the archives and reinstalled it for public view in 2013 in honor of the museum's ten-year anniversary.  Mr. Reese's tireless work advanced the institutional mission of the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

He is survived by his mother, Virginia Reese, sister Taffy Brenner, and brother William G. Reese III.

More News From Jazzinstitut Darmstadt

18 February 2016               
Charles Lloyd / Larry Vuckovich

Stuart Derdeyn talks to the saxophonist Charles Lloyd (pictured above) about his current quartet, about changes in popular music taste and its openness to other genres, about hearing the blues in Greek and Indian music, as well as about a recent project The Marvels with guitarists Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz ( The Province). --- Lou Fancher talks to the pianist Larry Vuckovich about having studied with Vince Guaraldi after he came to the USA from his home country Yugoslavia in the early 1950s, about Guaraldi's teaching methods and about still not knowing why Guaraldi accepted him as a student while he turned down everybody else ( Contra Costa Times).

19 February 2016                                       
Norbert Stein / Jeff Denson

Steve Elman writes an extensive review of German saxophonist Norbert Stein's latest album "Das Karusell" in which he musically approaches poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, comparing the result to David Bowie's last album "Blackstar" which is just as extensively reviewed ( The Arts Fuse). --- David Kerns talks to the bassist Jeff Denson about the Northern California's jazz scene, about his work teaching at the California Jazz Conservatory, as well as about his current quartet ( Napa Valley Register).

20 February 2016
Jazz in Germany / Cecil Taylor

Guenter Huesmann looks back at the jazz developments in Germany in 2015, focusing on the study about working and living conditions of German musicians undertaken (among others) by the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt, on celebrations of bassist Eberhard Weber, on the singer Erik Leithäuser, the pianist Sebastian Sternal, the saxophonist Roger Hanschel, the pianist Michael Wollny and the drummer Christian Lillinger, on new funding ideas in the state of Baden-Württemberg, on the lively jazz scenes of Berlin and Cologne, and about a reawakening of big bands in Germany ( Goethe-Institut). --- Christina Carrega-Woodby reports about the start of a lawsuit against the contractor who had stolen nearly half a million dollars from pianist Cecil Taylor, robbing him of the monetary part of the Kyoto Prize which Taylor was awarded in 2013 ( New York Daily News).

21 February 2016                      
Lajos Dudas / Local 802

Uwe Petersen talks to the Hungarian-German clarinetist Lajos Dudas about his idol Benny Goodman, about his career between swinging and free jazz, about classical influences from Bach to Bartók, about some of the highlights of his career, and about how much he enjoys performing even at the age of 75 ( Südkurier). --- Randy Sandke looks at Local 802, New York's musicians' union, which from early on had been one of the few unions without a color line, and chronicles the union's handling of black musicians' and bands' affairs in the 1930s ( Allegro).

22 February  2016
Julian Sartorius / Cyrille Aimée

Nils Sager talks to the Swiss drummer Julian Sartorius about his fascination with everyday "instruments" like grass, chair lifts or pocket vibrators, about the listener not having to understand his music as long as he is curious, about the fact that traveling as a musician does not really help to understand other cultures, about different audiences in different regions of the world, about the Colin Vallon Trio he plays with since three years, as well as about his love for deep, dark sounds ( Jungfrau Zeitung). --- Sol Hurwitz learns how French-American singer Cyrille Aimée usually spends her Sundays, rising early, drinking cactus juice, hanging around a nearby park, visiting a favorite flea market, meeting friends, watching a movie or reading a book ( New York Times).

23 February 2016
Branford Marsalis / Kid Ory

J.D. Swerzenski talks to the saxophonist Branford Marsalis about his attraction to classical music, about never really having looked for "freedom" so much in music, about the influence of his classical studies on his jazz playing, about hip-hop artist Jay-Z, as well as about the musical risks taken on stage ( San Antonio Current). --- In a story with historic as well as current photos, Della Hasselle reports about the St. John Parish Woodlawn plantation in Louisiana which is up for sale for $550,000, recounts the plantation's history which started in 1793, slavery time and a slave revolt in 1811, and remembers the trombonist Joseph Kid Ory who was born in a house behind the plantation on Christmas Day 1886 ( New Orleans Advocate).


24 February 2016
... what else ...

Cy Musiker reports about the St. John Coltrane Church in San Francisco's Fillmore District being in danger of eviction ( KQED). --- Nate Chinen hears the Dave Holland Trio at the Village Vanguard ( New York Times). --- The editors of the Chicago Tribune moan the loss of the Jazz Record Mart but are optimistic that that's not the end of jazz or the blues in Chicago ( Chicago Tribune). Peter Margasak has very personal memories of the store ( Chicago Reader). --- Brian Campbell talks to the Irish drummer David Lyttle ( The Irish News). --- Erin Shaw reports about the South Carolinian saxophonist Skipp Pearson who is fighting stage 4 bone cancer and will be honored during a benefit concert in Columbia ( The State). --- Anke Sterneborg sees Don Cheadle's Miles Davis biopic "Miles Ahead" at the Berlinade film festival ( Süddeutsche Zeitung). --- Kelly Petty reports about a workshop with singer Al Jarreau at Dreher High School in Columbia, South Carolina ( Cola Daily). --- Howard Reich hears the trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire at Chicago's Constellation ( Chicago Tribune). --- Yoshi Kato talks to the singer Kurt Elling ( Palo Alto Online). --- Lindsay Peyton talks to the vibraphonist Tom Collier ( West Seattle Herald). --- Mike West hears the drummer Kahil El'Zabar in Washington, D.C. ( Washington Post). --- Ben Sisario reports that the Magic Shop recording studio in New York will be closing next month ( New York Times).

Obituaries

We learned of the passing of the German guitarist Hans Reffert at the age of 69 ( Jazz Pages), the curator of the Louis Armstrong House Museum, David L. Reese, as well as the pianist Moe Wechsler at the age of 95.

Last Week at the Jazzinstitut

Arndt Weidler and representatives of the Bundeskonferenz Jazz, the Union Deutscher Jazzmusiker and the IG Jazz Berlin were in Berlin last week to discuss a study about working and living conditions of jazz musicians in Germany with members of the German parliament's cultural council. This study, initiated by the Jazzinstitut, the Union Deutscher Jazzmusiker and the IG Jazz Berlin, realized by the Institute for Culture Politics at Universität Hildesheim, and financed by the German Minister for Culture and Media as well as the states of Niedersachsen, Nordrhein-Westfalen and Berlin, will be publicly presented 16 March at a press conference in Berlin. We will report.

Angelika Niescier (sax), Stefano Senni (bass) and Simone Zanchini (accordion) performed at the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt last Friday, in an intense concert full of surprising turns, breakneck passages and memories of folklore idioms, playing to a full house mesmerized by the sheer musical energy of the three. In between, Niescier found time for an onstage "JazzTalk" interview about this trio, about virtuosity as a musical vocabulary not much different from the use of harmonic, rhythmic or melodic parameters, about the need to stay alert at all times in order to make the music work, about her experiences giving a workshop to Egyptian musicians last November and about the humbling experience of how music actually still has a very political meaning of personal freedom in many parts of this world.

On Tuesday, 8 March, Wolfram Knauer will present a talk at Galerie Netuschil in Darmstadt (Schleiermacherstraße 8, 7pm) about "Stele – Torso – Column – Jazz. A Look at the Space Aspects of Music". During the entertaining evening he will look at "sculptural" aspects of music, asking how music deals with the space it re-sounds in. Especially jazz lives in the space of its venues, makes use of their specific acoustic, their atmosphere. Using surprising music and film examples, Knauer explains how musicians have always used aspects of space in their music and how you can walk around a jazz solo much like walking around a sculpture. The talk is part of a series of conversations about the exhibition "Stele – Torso – Column", to be seen at the Galerie Netuschil until 26 March ( Galerie Netuschil; Jazzinstitut).

Swiss-born US-based singer Gabriela Martina releases her debut album, "No White Shoes"

Great art often arises out of transition and displacement. For the Swiss-born, Boston/New York-based vocalist/composer Gabriela Martina creating a body of original music in her new setting has meant grappling with big questions and forging a singular sound out of a disparate array of influences, from jazz, funk and pop to gospel and Alpine roots music (as a child Martina yodeled in her family's Swiss singing group).

Martina's arresting and utterly personal debut album "No White Shoes" introduces a rapidly evolving artist steeped in jazz but unfettered by the music's prevailing conventions.  The CD is available as a download only at: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/gabrielamartina3 or at amazon.com.

Martina has cultivated a powerfully evocative sound with her crystalline voice, honed through concerts throughout the world. She's performed with Meshell Ndegeocello, Jack DeJohnette, and Angelique Kidjo, and recorded with veteran drummer J.R. Robinson. In addition, she performed at the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival in guitarist Lee Ritenour's band as a semi-finalist in the Shure Voice Competition.

Though "No White Shoes" includes a couple of brilliantly interpreted jazz standards, Martina focuses on improvisation-laced originals that combine singer/songwriter introspection with sophisticated harmonies. Informed and inspired by the quietly tumultuous process of acculturation, she uses music as a vehicle to wrestle with her protean identity.

The album opens with "Narcissus," a song that elaborates on the symbolism of the album's striking cover art, with Martina's face obscured by a mirror. More than a source of expression, Martina's music is a vehicle for hard-won self-knowledge.

Sassy, mesmerizing, and tinged with funk, the celebratory "No White Shoes" speaks to Martina's eagerness to break free from mainstream conventions. As it builds to an ecstatic climax, it's easy to see why this plea and declaration became the album's centerpiece. Conceived as a rejection of Switzerland's cozy cultural cocoon, the song speaks to Martina's insistence on hewing to her own path.

"In Switzerland everything is so comfortable and so beautiful on the surface," Martina says. "It's a song about breaking boundaries and questioning traditions and musical conventions. It's a positive message. It stands for new ways, for something other than the mainstream, for being your own self, and walking your own way."

More than a singer/songwriter, Martina is also a savvy bandleader who has attracted a core band featuring some of Boston's finest players. A working ensemble for about four years, her band is built upon the supple rhythmic support of drummer Alex Bailey, a player with the chops to join heavyweights like Oscar Peterson and David "Fuze" Fiuczynski. He forms a potent rhythm section tandem with another rising young Boston star and recent Berklee grad Kyle Miles on acoustic and electric bass, a highly versatile player who has accompanied Angelique Kidjo, Patrice Rushen, Greg Osby, and Roy Hargrove, among many others.

The brilliant Czech-born pianist Jiri Nedoma, a prolific accompanist who has collaborated with the Grammy Award-winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and vocalist Gabrielle Goodman, brings a probing harmonic sensibility and canny use of space into the ensemble. And internationally raised Finnish guitarist Jussi Reijonen, whose credits include work with drum star Jack DeJohnette, flamenco legend Pepe de Lucia, Palestinian oud/violin master Simon Shaheen, and fretless guitar pioneer David Fiuczynski, reaches effortlessly across genre conventions.

Born in Lucerne, Switzerland, Martina was no stranger to urban settings before moving to Boston. But she spent her childhood in a bucolic idyll, amidst a family dairy farm surrounded by orchards. The third of four children in a tight-knit working class family, she grew up in a highly musical environment. At the age of five, she discovered her passion for singing while yodeling with her family's traditional Swiss group.

Before coming to Berklee College of Music in 2008, Martina studied at the Vocaltech Music School in London and the Jazzschool in Lucerne.  While there, she became a ubiquitous presence on the Swiss scene, performing with an array of bands including Talking Loud, Soulvirus, the pop-rock group PinkBliss, the electro/urban trio Aromat, an a cappella duo Not2help, and her own jazz duo with pianist Luzia von Wyl.

In 2010 Martina released a critically hailed EP Curiosity, which included her original song "Ain't Nobody", a finalist in the ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards 2012. Performing around US East Coast and beyond, she has honed her original repertoire with her band at clubs around the region. She's also the co-founder of IMS, an ongoing, bi-weekly free improvisation concert series which began in 2013 in Cambridge, MA.

Her album "No White Shoes" represents a major step in the singer's sojourn as a 21st century musician exploring an array of influences, styles and issues, a journey that's intoxicating and utterly unpredictable.

www.gabrielamartina.com

Alfredo Rodriguez Trio Live in NY, March 3-6

In case you missed it, Alfredo's new video, "Tocororo," premiered last week on JazzTimes, is now available on Youtube; featuring the talented Ganavya, Michael Olivera, and Reinier Elizarde, the video captures the essence of the Tocororo's journey from captivity to freedom, thus reflecting Alfredo's tumultuous voyage from Cuba.

And without further ado...you're invited to a special album release performance by Alfredo, Peter Slavov, Henry Cole, and Ganavya at Jazz Standard, live in NYC!

They'll be performing each night on March 3-6, so take your pick! Lastly, "Tocororo" is now available for pre-order.

Frank Perowsky live in NY, Feb 23

You won't want to miss Woody Herman alumnus Frank Perowsky and his 8-piece Manhattan Samba Band when they return to Jazz Tuesdays at the New York City Bahá'í Center on Tuesday, February 23.  There will be 2 shows at 8:00 and 9:30 pm.  Call 212-222-5159 for information and reservations.

Upon graduation from Juilliard in 1958, Frank Perowsky began his professional career in New York City touring with the big bands of Lee Castle, Woody Herman, Les and Larry Elgart, Tito Rodriguez, Johnny Richards, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, and Bill Watrous.  He began writing big band arrangements in 1968 and an early arrangement, "Bouncin' with Bud" was recorded by Buddy Rich for the "Class of '78" album.

Frank has performed on stage with many great  performers such as Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mel Torme, Billy Eckstine, and Liza Minnelli.  Since 1998 he has been a soloist in Mike Longo's New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble which has recorded 3 CDs.  "Oasis", recorded in 2004, includes Frank's original song "Song of my Dream - Tribute to Duke".

Admission is 15.00, $10.00 for students.
Tickets will be sold at the door, or call 212-222-5159 for
reservations and information.
For more about acts at "Jazz Tuesdays", check out www.jazzbeat.com and www.facebook.com/JazzTuesdays

Jazz Tuesdays
in the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium
The New York Baha'i Center
53 East 11th Street (between University Place & Broadway)

News From Jazzinstitut Darmstadt

11 February 2016                              
Grammy / Wilfried Schaus-Sahm

Ben Ratliff questions the jazz categories at the Grammy awards and focuses on the "best improvised jazz solo" category, looking at solo examples from this year's nominees, pianist Joey Alexander's solo on "Giant Steps", and Joshua Redman's solo on "Friend or Foe", and concluding that jazz is not just about the heroic moments of the solo, but just as much "about context and collaboration: it really is about bands"; he also jokingly suggests that perhaps one should introduce a new Grammy category for "accompanying a solo", for "fluctuation in a rhythm section", or for "well-timed silence" ( New York Times). Nate Chinen remembers when Herbie Hancock made a historic appearance at the Grammy show of 1984 performing his hit "Rockit", complete with turntablists and break-dancers ( New York Times). --- Olaf Reifegerste writes a profile of the German poet, painter and music promoter Wilfried Schaus-Sahm who had founded the Traumzeit Festival and other cultural series in Duisburg ( Rheinische Post).

12 February 2016                                   
Gary Peacock / Kamasi Washington

Jon Solomon talks to the bassist Gary Peacock about his having become a bass player by chance more than by choice, about having worked with Keith Jarrett and the late Paul Bley and with the pianist Marc Copland with whom he just recorded a trio album, "Now This" ( Westword). --- Adrian Spinelli talks to the saxophonist Kamasi Washington about jazz being the music for the younger generation as "they're into being different and being themselves. Weird is the new cool", about his collaboration with Lauryn Hill, as well as about the success of his album "The Epic" ( San Francisco Chronicle). The Neue Zürcher Zeitung looks at Kamasi Washington as well and sees him and the trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire as examples for a new focus on collectives in African-American jazz ( NZZ).

13 February 2016
George Paris / Larry Fink

Michael Lightstone remembers the drummer George Paris, often considered "the first known Canadian jazz musician", and the guitarist Nelson Symonds who has been active on Montréal jazz scene since the 1950s ( The Coast). --- Tom Seymour talks to the photographer Larry Fink about his favorite photo, a hand beating a drum, seen through the transparent drum skin, as well as about his approach to and life with photography ( The Guardian).

14 February 2016
Terence Blanchard  / Elmo Hope

Andrew Gilbert talks to the trumpeter Terence Blanchard about his "Champion: An Opera in Jazz", which will be premiered on the West Coast next week, and about the challenge of writing for voice and for a story that hadn't been shot yet as opposed to most of his experiences with film scores ( San Francisco Chronicle ). --- Eddie Small reports about a motion to name a street in the Bronx after the pianist Elmo Hope and talks to his widow Bertha Hope and his daughter Monica Hope about the possibility of naming Lyman Place between Freeman Street and East 169th Street "Elmo Hope Way - Jazz Pioneer" ( DNAinfo).

15 February  2016
Balver Höhle, Germany / Birdland, Germany

In a two-part series Claus-Peter Levermann remembers Karlheinz Klüter who together with some friends had started a jazz club in Menden, Germany, in the late 1950s, then founded first a festival on the site of Burg Altena in 1970, which moved to Balver Höhle, Europe's largest open cave, in 1974, but ended ten years later when Klüter decided to move to Bodrum in Turkey where he lived until his death in 2013 ( Der Westen [1], Der Westen [2]). --- Katrin Poese looks back at Birdland jazz club which Manfred Rehm opened 25 years ago in the small Bavarian town of Neuburg, Germany, and which since then has become a magnet both for musicians from all over the world and a curious audience ( Donaukurier).

16 February 2016
Violin / Jazz Record Mart

In an article about the long tradition of violin making in the German city of Klingenthal, Egbert Mühlleithen mentions the fashion of Stroh violins in the early 20th century, violins with a flat metal diaphragm in the voice box of the instrument and a brass horn that amplifies the sound, and explains that a Klingenthal violin maker developed his own instrument, called a "Violinophon", which was marketed as "reminiscent of a refined saxophone sound with the flageolets sounding like a piccolo and the pizzicato sounding like a banjo" ( Freie Presse). --- Gregory Pratt reports about the last day at Jazz Record Mart, Chicago's iconic record store which will probably close on Monday ( Chicago Tribune). And Howard Reich reports about the definitive closure of the store the contents of which had been sold to Wolfgang's Vault, a Reno, Nevada, based operation "that buys and sells music, film and other cultural items [and] has acquired the store's inventory and the Jazz Record Mart name and website ( Chicago Tribune). Bob Koester, the 83-year-old previous owner of the store, meanwhile announced he plans to keep his Delmark record label open ( NBC Chicago).

17 February 2016
... what else ...

John Murph talks to the singer Mavis Staples ( AARP). --- Jack Walton talks to the guitarist Goran Ivanovic ( South Bend Tribune). --- Laura Ziegler reports about a possible $18 million investment by the city of Kansas City in the historic jazz district 18th and Vine ( KCUR). --- Matt Villareal talks to the guitarist and singer  Bruce Benson ( Oklahoma State University). --- Peter Margasak talks to the Swedish baritone saxophonist Alberto Pinton ( Chicago Reader). --- Chris Vanderveen reports about the 86-year-old pianist Billy Wallace who still is able to play more than 4,000 songs despite suffering seriously of dementia ( KSDK). --- Kathrin Shattuck accompanies the German-American singer Ute Lemper on a typical Sunday in New York ( New York Times). --- Lisa Garn talks to the German guitarist Gerold Heitbaum ( Mitteldeutsche Zeitung). --- Andreas Potzel reports about the German trumpeter Till Brönner signing a new contract with DEAG Classics ( Musikmarkt). --- Ashley Lee reports about the trailer for "Born to Be Blue", a movie to be released this spring about the trumpet player Chet Baker, played by Ethan Hawke ( Hollywood Reporter). Jon Niles meanwhile compares the trailers of "Born to Be Blue" and "Miles Ahead", Don Cheadle's new Miles Davis biopic, the plot of both, he says, are very similar ( Music Times). --- The Grammys are over, and the winners are... ( New York Times). At the Grammy Awards ( New York Times), Don Cheadle, introduced a show-stopping, highly political and also jazz-tinged performance of hip-hop artist Kendrick Lamar ( The Independent, The Guardian).

Obituaries

We learned of the passing of the singer LaVelle at the age of 71 ( La Côte), the bassist Ted Wald at the age of 86 ( Port Townsend Leader), as well as the German critic Klaus Hübner at the age of 66 ( Der Westen).

Last Week at the Jazzinstitut

Last Friday the two bands Monofunk and WTF performed at the Jazzinstitut. Next Friday (19 February, 8:30pm) we look forward to a concert with the saxophonist Angelika Niescier with her Italian trio, the accordionist Simone Zanchini and the bassist Stefano Zenni who will perform in our JazzTalk series. The new trio of what the Süddeutsche Zeitung calls "the most fascinating story tellers of German jazz" is being praised all over; after intermission, before the second set, Wolfram Knauer will talk to the saxophonist about her collaboration with her Italian colleagues as well as about recent projects in Egypt and about the social importance of jazz in our days ( Jazzinstitut Darmstadt).

We read ... Holger Jass' book "Mein Onkel Pö" as well as Friedel Keim's "Das große Buch der Trompete, Band 3". The review of these and other books can be found on the book review page of our website .

2016 Grammy Winners in Jazz and Jazz-related categories

61. BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION

WINNER

The Afro Latin Jazz Suite

Arturo O'Farrill, composer (Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra Featuring Rudresh Mahanthappa)

Track from: Cuba: The Conversation Continues

Label: Motema Music

59. BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK FOR VISUAL MEDIA

WINNER

Birdman

Antonio Sanchez, composer

Label: Milan Records

35. BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM

WINNER

Made In Brazil

Eliane Elias

Label: Concord Jazz

34. BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM

WINNER

The Thompson Fields

Maria Schneider Orchestra

Label: ArtistShare

33. BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM

WINNER

Past Present

John Scofield

Label: Impulse!

32. BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM

WINNER

For One To Love

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Label: Mack Avenue Records

31. BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO

WINNER

Cherokee

Christian McBride, soloist

Track from: Live At The Village Vanguard (Christian McBride Trio)

Label: Mack Avenue Records

11. BEST CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM

WINNER

Sylva

Snarky Puppy & Metropole Orkest

Label: Impulse!

7. BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM

WINNER

The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern

Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap

Label: RPM Records/Columbia Records

Arnaldo DeSouteiro Bio / JSR (Jazz Station Records)

Arnaldo DeSouteiro Bio / JSR (Jazz Station Records)

            (Arnaldo DeSouteiro during a recording session in 2014)

"People are going to talk about you, especially when they envy you and the life you live. Let them. You affected their lives, they didn't affect yours... you will eventually lose someone you love & love someone you never thought you'd find..."

Arnaldo DeSouteiro - Short Bio

Music Producer (with over 530 albums to his credit according to the All Music Guide), Voting Member of NARAS-GRAMMY and Jazz Journalists Association (NY), Member of LAJS (Los Angeles Jazz Society), Musical Philosopher, Journalist, Jazz & Brazilian Music Historian, Publicist, Public Relations, Composer (having written successful jazz & pop songs, some dance hits like "O Passarinho" for the Italian TV reality show "La Pupa e Il Secchione", and "Samba da Copa" for the "2006 World Cup" in Germany, plus many other soundtracks for movies, soap operas & TV series in the USA -- PBS, BET, Universal Cable etc --, Europe and Asia), Lyricist (he wrote lyrics to Dave Brubeck's "Broadway Bossa Nova" at the invitation of Brubeck himself, among other songs), Arranger, Percussionist, Keyboardist, Programmer, Educator (conducting clinics and panel sessions worldwide as the first Brazilian member of IAJE-International Association of Jazz Educators during its existence). He has also acted as consultant for several companies and jazz festivals all over the world.

Founder and CEO of JSR (Jazz Station Records), a Division of Jazz Station Marketing & Consulting - LA, Calif. Most recently, founded LaCalifUSA Pictures and JSR Casting in 2007 for movie & TV productions featuring music & fashion.

Produced the acclaimed CD compilation series "A Trip To Brazil," "CTI Acid Jazz Grooves," "Brazilian Horizons," "Focus on Bossa Nova," "Focus on Brazilian Music Grooves", "Bossa Nova Singers," "Bossa Nova Guitar","Jazz Rock" etc.

Produced special compilations for Quincy Jones ("Summer in the City - The Soul Jazz Grooves of Quincy Jones"), Chick Corea ("Electric Chick") and Deodato ("Do It Again - The Fantastic Jazz-Funk of Eumir Deodato"), all released by Verve/Universal. His latest CD for Verve is "Bossa Nova USA," released last May, featuring Dave Brubeck's title track performed by Quincy Jones.

Supervised and/or Directed TV specials featuring João Gilberto, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dizzy Gillespie, Chuck Mangione, Flora Purim & Airto Moreira, Miles Davis, Dom Um Romão, Eliane Elias, Diana Krall, Eumir Deodato, Bjork et al. Worked with producers Creed Taylor, Yoichi Nakao, Susumu Morikawa, Matthias Kunnecke, and photographers Pete Turner, Victor Skrebneski, Robert Mappelthorpe, Duane Michals.

Mr. DeSouteiro has also worked in his native Brazil for TUPI-FM radio station (as musical programmer-DJ as well as hosting his own show, "Jazz Espetacular"), Manchete TV network (anchoring & supervising the "Terça Especial" series for which he interviewed such jazz giants as Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Chuck Mangione, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim etc), Globo TV network (screenplay, coordination and mix for the TV special "João Gilberto & Antonio Carlos Jobim - O Grande Encontro" in 1992, the last time these 2 geniuses performed together, plus the texts and screenplay for the "Minuto da Bossa" series), and as the jazz columnist for the "Tribuna da Imprensa" (Press Tribune) daily newspaper during 29 years (from 1979 to 2008). Before moving to the USA, he also worked as Brazilian correspondent of "Keyboard" magazine (from 1985 to 1994), as a free-lancer to Billboard, Cuadernos de Jazz, Swing Journal and International Music Magazine, and as entertainment-in-flight programmer for several airline companies like Varig Brazilian Airlines (from 1983 to 1998).

Produced over 530 albums and sessions featuring: Luiz Bonfa, João Gilberto, Dom Um Romão, Thiago de Mello, Dexter Payne, João Donato, Palmyra & Levita, Mario Castro-Neves, Jorge Pescara, Paula Faour, Fabio Fonseca, Claudio Roditi, Rodrigo Lima, Hermeto Pascoal, Ithamara Koorax, Don Sebesky, Sammy Figueroa, Bjork, Anna Ly, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Pascoal Meirelles, Yana Purim, Pingarilho, Nelson Angelo, Marcelo Salazar, Ron Carter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Steve Swallow, Herbie Hancock, Hugo Fattoruso, Larry Coryell, Sadao Watanabe, Jurgen Friedrich, Eloir de Moraes, Gazzara, Deodato, Jadir de Castro, Azymuth, Marcio Montarroyos, Sivuca, Laudir de Oliveira, Marcos Valle, Jay Berliner, George Young, David Matthews, Lew Soloff, Alphonso Johnson, Gene Bertoncini, John McLaughlin, Claus Ogerman, Raul de Souza, Gonzalo Rubalcaba and many others.

Produced and supervised CD reissues of albums by Ron Carter, Hank Crawford, Johnny Hammond, Sergio Mendes, Hubert Laws, Grant Green, Idris Muhammad, Joe Beck, Esther Phillips, Lonnie Smith, David Matthews & Whirlwind, Phil Upchurch, Tennyson Stephens, Miucha, Flora Purim, Carlos Lyra, Tamba Trio, Ivan Lins, Raul de Souza, Trio 3-D and many others. As annotator, he wrote liner notes and press releases for albums by Toots Thielemans, Hank Crawford, Stan Getz, Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Metheny, Eliane Elias, Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Jeff Linsky and dozens of others for labels like RCA, CTI, Kudu, Milestone, Fantasy, Verve, Columbia, Irma, Alfa, JVC, Caju, Sonet, Paddle Wheel, JHO, Mercury, Imagem etc.

Mr. DeSouteiro also had the honor to be associated with some of the world's greatest photographers like Pete Turner (who did the cover photos for Rodrigo Lima's "Saga" and Jorge Pescara's "Grooves in the Temple," released on his own JSR label and featured on Turner's new book "The Color of Jazz"), Victor Skrebneski (the CD reissue of "Upchurch/Tennyson"), Bruce Weber (Esther Phillips' "For All We Know"), Robert Mappelthorpe ("Brazilian Horizons"), Alen MacWeeney, William Cadge, and Duane Michals (many of the CTI CDs) and so on. He has appeared in several movies and TV series such as the Award Winning documentary movie "Beyond Ipanema," for which he was interviewed alongside Creed Taylor, Lalo Schifrin, Wayne Shorter, Gene Lees and Norman Gimbel.

Jazz Station Marketing & Consulting, JSR Casting, LaCalifUSA Pictures
CEO & Founder: Arnaldo DeSouteiro

Jazz Station Records (JSR), a division of Jazz Station Enterprises
CEO & Founder · Los Angeles ·

(PLEASE, DO NOT SEND UNSOLICITED MATERIAL; any unsolicited CD or promo packets will be returned. If you wish to submit material, please contact us through comments on this post or through Facebook. Thx!)
https://www.facebook.com/arnie.gilberto

People are going to talk about you, especially when they envy you and the life you live. Let them. You affected their lives, they didn't affect yours... you will eventually lose someone you love & love someone you never thought you'd find...

Arnaldo DeSouteiro – Biografia ultra-resumida 

Produtor de discos, com cerca de 530 álbuns em sua discografia (incluindo novos CDs, reedições, coletâneas, trilhas sonoras, projetos especiais), conforme consta no All Music Guide, principal e mais acessado website sobre música no mundo. Jornalista e publicitário (formado em Comunicação pela PUC-RJ), tendo escrito para os jornais Tribuna da Imprensa (de 1979 até sua extinção em 2009, com 3.200 artigos publicados), Última Hora, O Globo e O Estado do Paraná, revistas Billboard, Keyboard (USA), Cuadernos de Jazz (Espanha), Swing Journal (Japão), Revista do CD (Brasil) etc. 

Roteirista de shows (João Gilberto, Diana Krall, Ithamara Koorax, Marcos Valle, Eumir Deodato, Bjork etc) e de especiais de TV para as emissoras Globo (Antonio Carlos Jobim & João Gilberto) e Manchete (Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Chuck Mangione, Airto Moreira & Flora Purim etc) no Brasil, BET e PBS nos EUA, NHK no Japão (Diana Krall, João Gilberto, CTI All Stars, Dave Brubeck etc).

Nascido no Rio de Janeiro (Brasil) em 1963, radicado em Los Angeles (EUA) desde 1999. Estudou piano clássico e harmonia com sua mãe, a pianista e maestrina Delza Agricola. É membro da Associação Brasileira de Imprensa (ABI) e da Ordem dos Músicos do Brasil (OMB) desde 1979, membro catedrático titular efetivo da Academia Internacional de Música desde 1985, membro votante do Grammy-Naras (National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences) desde 2006, membro votante da Los Angeles Jazz Society (único brasileiro) desde 2007, e também único brasileiro que é membro votante da Jazz Journalists Association (sediada em Nova Iorque) desde 2002. Atua como consultor e parecerista para diversas empresas, centros culturais e festivais de música no Brasil e no exterior.

Também foi membro honorário e primeiro membro brasileiro da Associação Internacional de Educadores de Jazz (IAJE – International Association of Jazz Educators) durante 12 anos, até sua extinção em 2008, tendo realizado palestras e "panel sessions" nas convenções anuais realizadas nos EUA. 

Fundador e Presidente da gravadora JSR (Jazz Station Records), sediada em Los Angeles – EUA desde 2001, uma divisão da Jazz Station Marketing & Consulting. Dirige também a JSR Casting e a LaCalifUSA Pictures, empresa de cinema que produz conteúdo e trilhas sonoras (composição, produção, seleção) para filmes e séries de TV. 

Produziu discos e sessões de gravação com artistas como Luiz Bonfá, João Gilberto, Dom Um Romão, João Donato, Palmyra & Levita, Mario Castro-Neves, Claudio Roditi, Gaudencio Thiago de Mello, Dexter Payne, Bjork, Rodrigo Lima, Don Sebesky, Hubert Laws, Fabio Fonseca, Marcos Ozzellin, Herbie Hancock, Jorge Pescara, Paula Faour, Anna Ly, Pascoal Meirelles, Yana Purim, Carlos Pingarilho, Nelson Angelo, Marcelo Salazar, Ithamara Koorax, Ron Carter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Steve Swallow, Herbie Hancock, Hugo Fattoruso, Larry Coryell, Sadao Watanabe, Jurgen Friedrich, Claus Ogerman, Gazzara, Eumir Deodato, Azymuth, Marcio Montarroyos, Sivuca, Laudir de Oliveira, Marcos Valle, David Matthews, Gene Bertoncini, John McLaughlin, Raul de Souza, Hermeto Pascoal, Jadir de Castro, Lew Soloff, George Young, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Alphonso Johnson e muitos outros. 

Como compositor e letrista, tem parcerias com Dave Brubeck (“Broadway Bossa Nova”), Francesco Gazzara (“O Passarinho”), Mamoru Morishita (“Hotaru”) e Fabio Fonseca (“Samba da Copa”, executado na cerimônia de abertura da Copa do Mundo de 2006). 

Produziu reedições de discos de Sergio Mendes, Flora Purim, Tamba Trio, Ivan Lins, Carlos Lyra, Miucha, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Ron Carter, Idris Muhammad, Hank Crawford, Lonnie Smith, Johnny Hammond, Luiz Bonfá, Phil Upchurch, Tennyson Stephens, Eumir Deodato, Grant Green, Mario Castro-Neves, João Donato, Claus Ogerman, David Matthews, Esther Phillips, Joe Beck, Eric Gale e muitos outros.

Produziu as séries “A Trip To Brazil” (cujo Volume 1 chegou ao primeiro-lugar na parada de world-music na Europa em 1998, superando “Buena Vista Social Club”), “Brazilian Horizons”, “CTI: Acid Jazz Grooves”, “Jazz Club”, e retrospectivas - lançadas mundialmente entre 2006 e 2010 pelo selo Verve – das carreiras de Quincy Jones (“Summer In The City: The Soul-Jazz Groves of Quincy Jones”), Eumir Deodato (“Do It Again: The Fantastic Jazz Funk of Eumir Deodato”) e Chick Corea (“Electric Chick”).

Desde 1981, tem realizado, como free lancer, produção musical para diversas gravadoras, como RCA/BMG, Sony, Verve/PolyGram/Universal, CTI, King, Paddle Wheel, Pausa, Milestone/Fantasy, Warner/WEA, Motor Music, JVC/Victor, Sanyo, Movieplay, Imagem, Eldorado, CID, Alfa, RGE, Mr. Bongo, Terra Música, Blue Moon, Bomba, Cedar Tree, Treasure Trove, Irma, Vivid Sound, Motéma, e Huks Music, no Brasil, Europa, Estados Unidos, Japão, China, Taiwan e Coréia. 

Entre 1982 e 1984, atuou como assessor cultural do Serviço de Comunicação Social da Petrobras. Em 1983, criou, produziu e apresentou o programa "Jazz espetacular", transmitido pela Rádio Tupi FM. Em 1984, assumiu a responsabilidade da programação de bordo (musical e audiovisual) transmitida nos vôos internacionais da Varig, função que exerceu durante 14 anos. Também nesse período (1985 a 1987), participou da comissão de seleção do Free Jazz Festival. 

Escreveu textos de contracapa para discos de diversos artistas, como Toots Thielemans, Ella Fitzgerald, Eliane Elias, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jeff Kinsky, Paulo Bellinati e Carlos Barbosa Lima, entre outros. Assinou textos para divulgação ("press releases") de artistas como João Gilberto, Stan Getz, Oscar Peterson, Pat Metheny, Bill Evans, Jimmy Smith, Elvin Jones, Stanley Turrentine e Tony Bennett.

Atuou como entrevistador em depoimentos prestados para o Museu da Imagem e do Som (Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo) por João Donato, Stellinha Egg, Maestro Gaya, Eumir Deodato, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim e Carlos Barbosa Lima. Em 2001, recebeu o prêmio de International Man of The Year, concedido pelo International Biographical Centre, de Londres. Foi o primeiro brasileiro a receber essa premiação, oferecida anteriormente a apenas quatro outros produtores: Arif Mardin, Tommy LiPuma, Quincy Jones e Phil Ramone. Ainda nesse ano, a JSR (Jazz Station Records), de sua propriedade, foi considerada uma das cinco melhores gravadoras de jazz do mundo, em relação publicada na edição de dezembro da revista especializada norte-americana "Down Beat", premiação que se repetiu por quatro anos (7º lugar em 2003, 9º lugar em 2004, 5º lugar em 2005 e 6º lugar em 2006).  

Foi entrevistado em vários programas de TV, seriados (incluindo o documentário "Laurindo Almeida, Muito Prazer" exibido pelo canal GNT) e filmes como o premiado documentário "Beyond Ipanema", no qual foi entrevistado ao lado de Creed Taylor, Lalo Schifrin, Wayne Shorter, Gene Lees e Norman Gimbel. Depois de apresentado em diversos festivais de cinema nos Estados Unidos e Europa, "Beyond Ipanema" foi transformado em série de televisão transmitida em território brasileiro pela emissora Canal Brasil em 2014.

Jazz Station Records (JSR), a division of Jazz Station Enterprises
CEO & Founder · Los Angeles ·

Valentine's Day Brunch w/ The Blues Farm

This Sunday, Feb 14th, bring your "Valentine" to The Falcon Brunch in Marlboro, NY
by the waterfall (1348 Route 9W), 11am-2pm
NO COVER but Donations appreciated...

The Anna Mjöll All-Star Sextet live @ The Baked Potato, featuring Tom Brechtlein, Feb 13

The "ANNA MJÖLL ALL-STAR SEXTET"
Almost SOLD OUT @ The Baked Potato
3787 Cahuenga Blvd, Studio City 91604

Saturday, February 13 -
Showtimes 9:30 and 11:30

Anna Mjöll - vocals, John Beas Beasley - keys, Billy Willard Peterson - bass, Joe Elliott - guitar, Tom Brechtlein - drums (one of my favorite drummers since his early days with Chick Corea on such albums as "Tap Steps" and "Secret Agent"), Doug Webb - sax

Valentina Marino live @ Zinc Bar, tomorrow night; pre-release of "PhiLOVEsophy"

A pre-release celebration of Valentina Marino's "PhiLOVEsophy" album will happen tomorrow night, February 10, @ Zinc Bar (82 West 3rd Street) in New York. From 7pm to 8:45pm. Not to be missed if you are in the NY area.

News From Jazzinstitut Darmstadt

4 February 2016
Trombone Shorty / Portland, Oregon

Rob Duguay talks to the trombonist Troy Andrews aka Trombone Shorty about his early start as a bandleader (at the age of six), leading the ensemble not from the trombone but the tuba, about his past as well as wished-for collaboration with musicians from different genres, about a children's book he published recently, about performing at the White House and meeting Barack Obama, as well as about being from New Orleans being an advantage when it comes to mixing influences ( Vanyaland). --- Nathan Rizzo looks at the jazz history of Portland, Oregon, and talks to the drummer Mel Brown, the guitarist Dan Balmer, the bassist Damian Erskine, the pianist George Colligan, the alto saxophonist Christopher Brown, the singer-songwriter Coco Columbia, the drummers Barra Brown and Jose Medeles, the saxophonist Reed Wallsmith and others about the changing scene and current trends influencing the city's music ( Vortex).

5 February 2016                                          
Robert Glasper / European jazz clubs

Jessie Schiewe talks to the pianist Robert Glasper about the hipness factor of jazz, about a new but more open interest in the genre, and about the fact that one does not necessarily have to end up playing in one genre just because that's where one started ( SF Weekly). --- Adam McCulloch lists ten major European jazz clubs of different sizes in Lisbon, Kraków, Berlin, Copenhagen, Brighton, Vienna, Prague, Paris, Cologne, and Madrid, describing the atmosphere and their connection to the local scene and providing photos, videos and more information about their program ( The Guardian).

6 February 2016
Bireli Lagrène / Uli Beckerhoff

Florian Bissig reflects about the guitarist Bireli Lagrène's career from his Montreux festival debut in 1981 up to date with excursions into the fusion field and a recent return to the roots of what Bissig calls "Gipsy" projects and his longtime idol Django Reinhardt ( Neue Zürcher Zeitung ). --- Jochen Brünner talks to the German trumpeter Uli Beckerhoff about the jazz scene when he got into jazz and how it has changed over the years, about the team spirit in a jazz ensemble, and about the rich cultural infrastructure in Germany ( Weser-Kurier).

7 February 2016                             
John Hammond / Charles Lloyd

Frances Mulraney reports about and links to a new video commercial ("advert") for Guinness beer focusing on the impresario John Hammond's role in desegregating the music industry in the late 1930s ( Irish Central). --- Kevin Joy talks to the saxophonist Charles Lloyd about his personal approach to writing and performance, about his current band, about the role of jazz in the 21st century, about his greatest influences having been (a) the universe and (b) Phineas Newborn, and about his advice to young musicians being they should make music because they love it ( The Columbus Dispatch).

8 February  2016
Itamar Borochov / Snarky Puppy

Saul Sugarman talks to the Israeli trumpeter Itamar Borochov about the "global" influences on his music, about his start in jazz with bebop, about at one point having become aware of the fact that he couldn't remember the last time he had listened through an entire record after which he decided to listen only to vinyl recordings instead of digital music, and about New York, where he lives since nine years, being home but seeing himself returning to Israel one day ( JWeekly). --- Nate Chinen talks to the bassist Michael League about the unique appeal of the music by the band Snarky Puppy which he co-founded in 2006, about the difficulties to place the band into a specific genre, yet feeling that it would fit better into the jazz than the jam band category, as well as about their 11th album, "Culcha Vulcha", to be out in June ( New York Times).

9 February 2016
Thad Jones / Zimbabwe

In an extensive article, Mark Stryker reflects upon the career of trumpeter / arranger / composer / bandleader Thad Jones who had co-founded the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra 50 years ago which still performs at New York's Village Vanguard today, now under the name Vanguard Jazz Orchestra ( Detroit Free Press). --- Jairos Saunyama reflects about jazz history in Zimbabwe, Africa, pointing out that musicians there play a fusion of styles like sungura, Congo rhumba, benga, mbaqanga and others with jazz, finding that jazz may be unpopular because it is "like abstract art", quoting the argument that there really are "no jazz bands" in the country, and looking back at South African and Zimbabwean jazz sounds from the 1940s till today ( The Standard).

10 February 2016
... what else ...

Michael Briers reports about a new trailer for Don Cheadle's Miles Davis biopic ( We Got This Covered). --- Steve Wildsmith talks to the singer Rene Marie ( The Daily Times). --- Jan Wiele ( Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ) and Tilman Krause ( Die Welt) see the exhibition about the influence of jazz on 20th century art at Kunstmuseum Stuttgart. --- The Canadian trumpeter Al Muirhead has been nominated for a Juno award ( CBC). --- Craig Byrd talks to the pianist Jason Moran ( Los Angeles Magazine). --- Becca Martin-Brown talks to the singer Genine LaTrice Perez ( Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette). --- Elizabeth Stockman talks to members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band about their recent trip to Cuba ( PRI). --- Andrian Kreye hears the new album by trumpeter Avishai Cohen and asks about the reasons for his musical decisions ( Süddeutsche Zeitung). --- Matthias Einwag reports about the drummer Famoudou Don Moye who contacted the city archive of Staffelstein, Germany, to learn more about the mysterious death of his father who was stationed there in 1946 ( Fränkischer Tag [only accessible for subscribers]). --- David Matthews reports that Bob Koester seems to have found a buyer for the records at his Chicago-based Jazz Record Mart ( DNA Info). --- Marc Myers talks to the saxophonist and arranger Bob Freedman about the legendary pianist Dick Twardzik whom Freedman had known since the late 1940s ( Jazzwax).

Obituaries

We learned of the passing of the pianist Gerald Borsuk at the age of 95 ( Wisconsin State Journal), the drummer, singer and bandleader (Earth, Wind & Fire) Maurice White at the age of 74 ( New York Times [1], New York Times [2], Tagesanzeiger), the guitarist and singer Dan Hicks at the age of 74 ( KQED, Los Angeles Times, New York Times), the singer Judy Day who had died in December already at the age of 71 ( Las Cruces Sun-News), the drummer Don Carter at the age of 72 ( The Jersey Journal), as well as the German author, TV personality and jazz advocate Roger Willemsen at the age of 60 ( Süddeutsche Zeitung ).

Last Week at the Jazzinstitut
Last Friday the new quartet UNIT by the French-German saxophonist Eric Plandé played at the Jazzinstitut's concert space, featuring Bob Degen (p), Jürgen Wuchner (b) and Janusz Stefanski (d).
We read ... Alfred Green's book "Rhythm Is My Beat. Jazz Guitar Great Freddie Green and the Count Basie Sound" as well as Chris Smith's book "The View From the Back of the Band. The Life and Music of Mel Lewis". The review of these and other books can be found on the book review page of our website.

Jazzinstitut Darmstadt is a municipal cultural institute of the city of Darmstadt, Germany.

Instrumental Cue Recording in the Studio on TAXI TV Today at 4/7 pm

Cue Recording Basics with Steve Barden On Today’s TAXI TV!

7pm Eastern (EST) / 6pm Central (CST) / 4pm Pacific (PST) /

Midnight, London / 11am, Sydney (AEST)

Dear Passengers,

 “Cuewareness” has become part of my every day life. I notice Instrumental Cues on TV. I listen to their melodies, arrangements, mixes, and study how they are used, obsessively.

 

I also talk about them on TAXI TV as well, but we’ve never shown you how to actually create a simple Instrumental Cue – until today, that is!

 

Successful TAXI member Steve Barden is being very gracious and letting us visit his home studio to watch him record a simple, acoustic guitar-based instrumental cue, live, and in real time! 

If you want to know how much, or what kind of gear you need to do a simple cue, watch this show!

If you want to know how to write and arrange a simple cue, watch this show!

If you want to see how easy it is to get started doing simple instrumental cues, don’t miss this show! 

See Steve’s credits by clicking here. Even if you’re already adept at writing and recording cues, watching this episode might introduce you to some other tricks of the trade that you hadn’t thought of yet! I’ve interviewed Steve for the TAXI newsletter, and he’s a very smart and hard-working man with a lot to offer!

 

We’re really excited about this show, and very grateful that Steve is opening his home and his studio for this episode. Try really hard to watch the live show so you can ask questions during the show!

 

Want to ask a question in the Chat Room during the show?

You’ll need to be signed up to Ustream and be visible in the TAXI TV chat room during the live show. Do this BEFORE the show goes live today. It takes a couple of minutes, and you don’t want to miss any of the show while signing up. It’s FREE!

 

Go to: http://www.ustream.tv/ and click the Log In (text) link in the upper right hand corner of the Ustream page – NOT the blue button! – Fill out the short form to join. If you’ve already got a free Ustream account and you’ve used our chat room before, you can skip this step. Once you’re on TAXI’s Ustream page, please click the link on the right had side of the page that says, “Chat,” and the chat room will open for you.

 

Click this link to watch the live show, or to watch the archived version of this (and all other episodes) later:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/music-marketing-online

7pm Eastern (EST) / 6pm Central (CST) / 4pm Pacific (PST) /

Midnight, London / 11am, Sydney (AEST)

 

See you later,

Michael

 

P.S. And don’t forget to install an ad blocker for your browser so you don’t miss a minute of today’s episode. Google, “ad blocker” and the name of your browser to find a free ad blocker download you can install before today’s show.

 

P.P.S. If you’re not already following our channel on TAXI TV, click the orange “Follow” button near the upper left corner of the screen on this page (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/music-marketing-online ) so you get show notifications when we go live!