All Your Jazz » Features

University of North Texas’ One O’Clock Lab Band Nominated For 2 Grammys

drumminfabe — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:23:16 +0000

The University of North Texas’ One O’Clock Lab Band has been nominated for two Grammys this year: “Best Large Jazz Ensemble” (Lab 2009) and “Best Instrumental Composition” (Ice-Nine by Steve Wiest).

Place Your Vote Here

While this is exciting news for the UNT Jazz Band, it shouldn’t come as a shock – after all they do have a pretty good track record.

The six total Grammy nominations that the group have earned in the past are as follows: Lab 1975: Best Large Jazz Ensemble, Lab 1976: Best Large Jazz Ensemble, Lab 1989: Best Instrumental Arrangement for “Got a Match by Mike Bogle, Lab 1991: Best Instrumental Composition for “Values” by Neil Slater, and Lab 2009: Best Large Jazz Ensemble and Best Instrumental Composition for “Ice-Nine” by Steve Wiest.

Video

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcdfw.com/video.

- University of North Texas Website
- Official Grammy Website

2nd Annual “Company of Heaven Jazz Festival” At Cornelia Street Cafe: Jan. 8th-10th

drumminfabe — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 07:58:06 +0000

Get ready to join in the fun at the 2nd Annual Company of Heaven Jazz Festival, hosted by Cornelia Street Cafe in New York City. The event is set to take place January 8th-10th, 2010, featuring some of the most exciting jazz artists New York City has to offer.

Cover charge is $10 for each individual set OR $25 cover charge for the entire night (3 sets). APAP Conference attendees with official badges get free admission for entire Jazz Festival. Additionally there is a $7 food/drink minimum per set. Reservations are highly recommended.

- Festival Details
- Venue Info

Festival Set List

Friday, January 8, 2010
8:30pm “R*Time” w/special guest Judith Insell(viola)
Reut Regev – trombone
David Phelps – electric guitar
Sean Conly – bass
Igal Foni – drums

9:45pm “The Other Quartet”
Ohad Talmor – tenor saxophone, clarinet
Russ Johnson – trumpet
Pete McCann – guitar
Mark Ferber – drums, percussion

11pm Mario Pavone’s “Totem”
Mario Pavone / bass
Peter Madsen / piano
Dave Ballou / trumpet , flugelhorn
Gerald Cleaver drums

Saturday, January 9, 2010
8:30pm “The Thirteenth Assembly”
Taylor Ho Bynum – cornet
Mary Halvorson – guitar
Jessica Pavone – viola
Tomas Fujiwara – drums

9:45pm Tony Malaby’s “Paloma Recio”
Tony Malaby, saxophone
Ben Monder, guitar
Eivind Opsik, bass
Nasheet Waits, drums

11pm Mark Helias’ “Open Loose”
Mark Helias – bass
Tony Malaby – tenor saxophone
Tom Rainey – drums

Sunday, January 10, 2010
8:30pm Michael Musillami’s Trio + 3
Michael Musillami – guitar
Joe Fonda – bass
George Schuller – drums
Marty Ehlich – Alto Sax
Matt Moran – Vibes
Ralph Alessi – trumpet

9:45pm George Schuller “Circle Wide”
George Schuller – drums, comp, arr
Peter Apfelbaum – tenor/soprano sax
Dave Ambrosio – bass
Tom Beckham – vibes
Brad Shepik – guitar

11pm Matt Darriau’s “Ballin’ the Jack”
Matt Darriau – alto/soprano sax, clarinet
Andy Laster – baritone sax, clarinet
Frank London – trumpet
Curtis Hasselbring – trombone
George Schuller – drums
Joe Fitzgerald – bass
Anthony Coleman – keyboard, piano

More Info can be found online at www.companyofheaven.com.

View Larger Map

Festival Location

Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia Street
Greenwich Village, NYC
(212) 989-9319
www.corneliastreetcafe.com

Jazz At Lincoln Center Presents New Program: “WeBop” Teaches Young Children About Music

jazzman — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 00:35:48 +0000

WeBop is an early-childhood jazz education program in which children (ages 8 months – 5 years) and their parents/caregivers learn about jazz’s improvisation, creative process, instruments, styles and great performers. The classes provide a creative outlet for parents and children to explore jazz as a tool to educate and express themselves together.

More Info

Meet the Jazz Band at WeBop this Winter!
Join this Winter Term, as they have to know the instruments that make up a jazz combo, from the noble trumpet to the engine of the band, the drums. Each week you’ll move, sing, and play along as you learn about each instrument, culminating in a jam session with a live jazz band.

Highlights

* Slide from high to low like a growling trombone
* Swing your favorite nursery songs
* Scat oo-pop-a-da like Ella
* Swing the band with your steady drum beat
* Play a mean jazz riff on the piano
* Walk like a bass swinging way down low
* Jam with the a live jazz quartet
* Have fun playing with your friends and family

Join Here

Video

Details

For dates, registration, and pricing, please visit http://www.jalc.org for more info.

Shelia Anderson Presents Her Experience In Jazz At Harlem’s “Jazz For Curious Readers”

drumminfabe — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:45:33 +0000

Kick off the new year with the National Jazz Museum In Harlem for this week’s Jazz For Curious Readers. Join JFCR this week as Shelia Anderson, a.k.a. “The Queen of Hang” and author and WOBC jazz radio host, discusses her career in the jazz literary world. She will be presentin her work Monday, January 4th, 2010 at the NJMH Visitors Center in New York at 7:00pm. The event is FREE

Artist Info

As host-producer of a TV and a radio program on jazz in the New York City area, Shelia Anderson, author of The Quotable Musician: From Bach to Tupac, has met and interviewed musicians, composers, and other music industry professionals from all genres, classical to jazz.

For her latest book, How to Grow as a Musician: What All Musicians Must Know to Succeed (above, right), she put her connections to good use and culled the wisdom and personal experiences of 30 prominent musicians, including Grammy Award-winning performer Al Jarreau; Paula Kimper, a composer of opera, theater, film, and dance music; and Eric Reed, a jazz pianist who has played with the Wynton Marsalis Septet, Joe Henderson, Cassandra Wilson, and a multitude of other masters.

Shelia Anderson weaves together a comprehensive guide that reveals the fundamentals necessary for living a creative and successful life in music, with insights on getting started, developing as an artist, composing, recording, songwriting, preparing for performance, working with a manager, and signing contracts. She shares musicians’ candid and poignant advice on triumph and failure, self-evaluation, ego checks, and personal growth.

More Info

Event Details

Monday, January 4th, 2010
(7:00pm – 8:30pm)
Event is FREE!

Location:
Jazz Museum in Harlem Visitors Center
104 E. 126th Street (Suite 2C)
New York, NY 10035
(212) 348-8300
http://jazzmuseuminharlem.org

Tim Davies Nominated For Grammy: “Counting To Infinity” Up For Best Instrumental Composition

drumminfabe — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:10:36 +0000

Composer and Bandleader Tim Davies has been nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Instrumental Composition for his track Counting to Infinity. The song is only one of nine great tracks from his latest release, Dialmentia (Origin Records, 2009)

Artist Background

From the opening drone of the didjeridu, the listener knows that this is no ordinary big band chart. Counting to Infinity, from the new Tim Davies Big Band album Dialmentia, takes you on a journey like only Tim Davies’s music can. On top of writing all of the music, Davies leads the band from the drums, stoking the band like a powerful steam engine one moment, steering it like a finely-tuned race car the next. He blends swing, rock, hip hop and contemporary techniques into compositions truly unique: this is not your father’s big band.

- Listen

Tim Davies first dreamt of leading his own big band when he was twelve, inspired by a cassette of Australia’s Daly-Wilson Big Band—a dream realized in 1998, when he formed his first band in Melbourne, Australia. Although only having a short run before he moved to the US, it made quite an impact.

Since 2000, Davies has based his big band in Los Angeles, featuring top session and touring players. He maintains an international presence, guest conducting and performing his music with Australian, American and European big bands, often fulfilling commissions. Davies has recently been invited to present a lecture at the first annual Jazz Education Network Conference, May 20-22, 2010 at the University of Missouri St.Louis.

When not writing or playing big band music, Davies works as an arranger, orchestrator and conductor in Hollywood. Recent highlights include: the TV shows Pushing Daisies (arr/orch/cond) and Glee (arr), the games GI Joe (orch/cond), Prototype (orch/cond) and God of War 2&3 (orch/cond) and the films Death Race (orch/cond), Cirque du Freak (cond), Couples Retreat (orch/cond) and the upcoming films Percy Jackson and the Olympians (orch/cond), The Wolfman (orch/cond) and Sex and the City 2 (arr).

More Artist Info

Sammy Figueroa Does Tribute To Cal Tjader At Iridium Jazz Club: Jan. 8th

drumminfabe — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:56:07 +0000

Reknowned percussionist Sammy Figueroa will bring his Cal Tjader tribute band, ‘Sally’s Tomato’ to the Iridium Jazz Club on Friday, January 8th 2009 for a special midnight show.

This performance coincides with the opening of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference at the New York Hilton, which has put a special focus on jazz this year. For those who love the lilting, tropical sounds of vibraphonist Cal Tjader this evening will be a hot ticket.

Performance Background

Sammy Figueroa

Cal Tjader, who recorded almost 80 albums in his long career, and collaborated with Eddie Palmieri, Willie Bobo, Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente and many others, was one of the great innovators of Latin jazz. His sound, combining the celestial quality of the vibraphone with the intricate swinging rhythms of mambo and salsa, helped establish Latin Jazz as a genre and is considered to be the foundation of “cool jazz” and acid jazz.

- Other Jazz Styles

Artist Info

A classic tribute band , “Sally’s Tomato” strives to capture every nuance of Cal Tjader’s “Willy Bobo” period and is perhaps the first genuine Latin tribute band (as opposed to a ‘cover’ band). The group’s name, “Sally’s Tomato” (from a song that Tjader composed and recorded for the film “Breakfast At Tiffany’s”), reflects the playfulness and lightness of the music. The band will perform Tjader classics such as The Continental, Soul Sauce, Mambo Terrifico, Cuban Fantasy, Alonso and Tu Creas Que.

‘Sally’s Tomato’, formed in November 2008, debuted at the Miami Book Fair and was an instant success, obtaining an enthusiastic following and the blessings of Cal Tjader’s children. Sammy Figueroa, who has been living in South Florida since 2001, gathered together some great musicians for this special project, among them Richard Bravo on timbales, Brian Potts on vibraphone, Alexander Hoyt on piano and Freddy Lugo on bongos. The band will be joined by New York-based bassist Waldo Chavez.

Performance Details

When:
Friday, January 8th, 2010
(Midnight)

Cover:
$20 admission $10 for pre-reservations
Free admission for APAP badgeholders

Location:
Iridium Jazz Club
1650 Broadway (51st St.)
New York, NY 10019
(212) 582-2121
www.iridiumjazzclub.com

Al Williams Jazz Society Plays At Spaghettini: Dec. 26th

drumminfabe — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 19:19:19 +0000

The Al Williams Jazz Society is booked to play at LA’s Spaghettini Italian Grill & Jazz Club December 26th, 2009. The Al Williams Jazz Society is a quintet composed of some of the finest musicians in Southern California. High in energy, melodically sensitive, they are bebop specialists who also perform a variety of contemporary sounds—blues, ballads, Latin rhythms, smooth jazz, etc. Whether it’s the Al Williams Jazz Society or the Al Williams Trio performing, there is always a loyal following of fans who can count on the unique artistry of his bands, bands that always included musicians whose backgrounds are rich in experience and achievement. The show starts at 8:00pm, and you can reserve tickets for $20.

Make Reservations

Background

Al Williams—drummer, entrepreneur and promoter of jazz—has a well-earned reputation as a musical mover and shaker. Williams was born in Pasadena, California, and his love affair with music began at the age of eight when he began studying the clarinet. During high school, he played in the school band, the Boys’ Club Concert Band, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Youth Band. At the age of seventeen, he finally convinced his parents to let him pursue and develop his interest in playing drums, which has continued to be his main musical love.

While in college, Williams organized his first band, The Modern Jazz Majors, and their enthusiastically-received performances at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach launched him into the beginnings of a music career, a career that ultimately branched off into two directions—an entrepreneurial /promotional direction, and, of course, the development of his own musical artistry as a drummer and band leader.

As a band leader, he has three well-received recordings to his credit. Sandance and Let’s Celebrate, bring together international favorites like Grammy Winner Poncho Sanchez, Roy Ayers, The Jazz Crusaders’ Wayne Henderson, and vocalist Barbara Morrison, and his latest Meeting At The Crossroads.

Location:
Spaghettini Grill & Jazz Club
3005 Old Ranch Parkway,
Seal Beach, California 90740
(562) 596-2199
www.spaghettini.com

Listen To 20th Annual “A Jazz Piano Christmas” On NPR

drumminfabe — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 18:52:17 +0000

An NPR holiday tradition celebrates two decades this winter: It’s the 20th annual A Jazz Piano Christmas. Every year, NPR invites great jazz keyboardists, revered giants and fresh new voices alike, to spin unique takes on holiday music, live in concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. This year, variety was the theme: The six pianists who took the stage — Eldar, Robert Glasper, Patricia Barber, Joe Sample, Ramsey Lewis and Dr. Billy Taylor — ranged in age from 22 to 88

Listen To A Jazz Piano Christmas 2009 (stream)

The Lineup

The main event began with Eldar Djangirov’s romp through Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song.” The young Kansas City native, who goes by just his first name, landed a major-label recording contract with Sony before he was old enough to vote. Only 22, Eldar was only 2 years old when A Jazz Piano Christmas began. But for his second tune, he invited 88-year-old Billy Taylor to duet with him — a performance heard here as an online-only exclusive.

Pianist Robert Glasper has won attention for fusing jazz ideas with hip-hop sensibilities — and often producing music with rappers and neo-soul singers. His latest album is titled Double Booked, and he’s not kidding. On the morning that A Jazz Piano Christmas was recorded, he was on the Today show in New York with soul singer Maxwell. He jumped on a train for Washington and performed a rambling take on Thad Jones’ “A Child Is Born.”

Next up: Patricia Barber, who plays piano and sings. But she’s not a jazz singer in a classic sense; she’s also known for her original songwriting. Barber started with an original take on “O Tannenbaum,” heard here as a Web exclusive, and then went into an original composition called “The New Year’s Eve Song.”

Many remember Joe Sample from his days in the early 1960s as a member of the Jazz Crusaders. For more than five decades, he’s been a presence in jazz and sometimes even the Billboard pop charts; he mixes a touch of swing with the bluesy roots of Houston, his hometown. For NPR’s special, he sketched out bold, richly voiced variations on “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “The Little Drummer Boy.”

The last pianist of the evening has a long, remarkable career in music, and not always from behind the piano. He’s been a television and radio host sharing his love of jazz with audiences around the country. And he’s been very generous with student musicians in his hometown of Chicago. NEA Jazz Master Ramsey Lewis emerged to play John Coltrane’s lesser-heard “Dear Lord,” and then welcomed Billy Taylor to join him on Taylor’s charming original, “Merry Christmas.”

Listen To A Jazz Piano Christmas 2009 (stream)

Jerry Vivino Quartet Plays At Vitello’s In Studio City, CA: New Years Eve

drumminfabe — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:39:45 +0000

If you ever watched the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, you may have noticed that they have a pretty good band backing the vibrant host. For those that are not familiar, the Tonight Show Band has some members that have started their own group, namely the Jerry Vivino Quartet, and they are visiting Vitello’s in Studio City on New Years Eve. Seating packages start at $50, and seating is limited. Sets begin at 7:00pm and 10:00pm.

More Info

The Group

These amazing musicians, all members of the new Tonight Show Band with Conan O’Brien, are sure to wow the captive and enthralled audience with their energized and exuberant show. The Jerry Vivino Quartet – featuring Jerry Vivino (sax, flute, and vocals), Mike Merritt (bass), James Wormworth (drums), and Scotty Healy (piano) – are not only among the most talented musicians in the scene today, but are also considered the most entertaining.

It wasn’t too long ago the Jerry Vivino got his first gig out in L.A., and it was also at Vitello’s for the Red Carpet Jazz Series. They received rave reviews from various sources, including the LA Jazz Scene, commenting that “they put on one hell of a show, not to be missed.”

What better way to bring in the new year than with a spectacular group of musicians who just love to play together. Join in the fun at Vitello’s on New Years Eve.

Performance Details

Thursday, December 31st, 2009
(7:00pm, 10:00pm)

The Jerry Vivino Quartet
w/ Mike Merritt, James Wormworth & Scott Healy

Sets:
Early show $50 includes Italian buffet or pre-fixe menu. Late show $75 includes dancy party, Italian buffet, party favors and champagne toast. All are members of the Tonight Show Band.
Reservations are Recommended.

Location:
Vitello’s Jazz Upstairs
4349 Tujunga Ave.
Studio City, CA
(818) 769-0905
http://www.vitellosrestaurant.com

Wrapping Up 2009 With The Year’s “Best Jazz”: Opinions & Reviews From The Jazz Blogging World

drumminfabe — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:07:37 +0000

As we see 2009 come to an end, an obvious thing to do is reflect on the year and take a look at some of the great albums and artists that have made it happen. While we have a list of favorites, we realized that it was hard to narrow it down in many categories, so rather than rattle off a long list, we are bringing you a culmination of top 10 lists and “best ofs” for the year – compliments of Accujazz.

(1) Our first reference is JazzTimes, offering their insight on the top 50 new releases and top 10 historical/reissue recordings of 2009. Jazz Times has always been a very good source of news and reviews in Jazz, and we happily recommend readers to scan through their selections.
More Info

(2) The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) over at JazzHouse.org is another great source to turn to for avid jazz fans and bloggers all over the country. They have nicely organized and complied a few different bits of information, specifically information regarding the 10 jazz albums for 2009 and the 10 best new jazz releases of 2009.
More Info

(3) JazzandBlues.blogspot.com have have come through with their take specifically surrounding the post-modern shift in jazz, as musicians continually push the boundaries on “jazz” and seem to pick and choose which genres they cross reference in their music. This link is only the first part of their selections, and we anticipate they will be adding more within the next month.
More Info

Reflection

As many fans of jazz know, this year has especially been one for reflection as well as uncertainty. As we take a look back at the greatest and most influential artists and albums of the year, it has also been in our best interest to view them in light of the future – that is with regard to the direction that “jazz” is going in. As Accujazz has pointed out, there was a controversial article written by Glenn Branca of the New York Times, insinuating among other things that “Jazz has stopped evolving and become a dead art.”
Read Article

The role and impact of jazz on today’s society has been brought into the open on several occasions – not for the first time by any means – but now with a renewed spirit. Many claim that our current economic situation is to blame for most of the decline in popularity of jazz, but really all that refers to is number of albums being sold ($). Much more important is how the genre is being viewed and thought of.

From the decrease in touring jazz groups, live concerts, and even popular jazz festivals, we are “lucky” enough to get outside opinions of jazz that seemingly aim to snuff out what is left of “an accident waiting to happen” (referring to a YouTube video, where 80s heavy metal band Spinal Tap puts forward their disgust for jazz.
View Article

While this comes with significant undertones, I believe it has been an important topic and theme throughout the year that can only serve to strengthen our support and love for jazz. The “best ofs” this year is a great way to reflect on the fact that despite tough times, we have had a great year for new artists and an even greater year for creativity and innovation.

We will continue to update our best picks as they come up, feel free to chime in.