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Herb Alpert & Lani Hall Perform Medley from Their Album “Anything Goes” On Craig Ferguson Late Show

drumminfabe — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:23:55 +0000

Acclaimed jazz duo Herb Alpert & Lani Hall made a pit stop at the Craif Ferguson Late Show last night, performing a medley from their latest release, Anything Goes. The performance was very well received by the crowd, and it’s good to see these two getting the exposure they deserve for this album.

Read Album Review

After launching their new album, Anything Goes (Concord Jazz), this jazz duo is hitting the road to spread exposure and bring their new tunes to the masses.

This stop, on the Craig Ferguson Show, is only one of many that will take place through January. Having started back in the beginning of December, this tour is just what the two needed. They are getting their names back on the charts and continuing to bring their unique sound to fans that have supported them for many years.

See Tour Dates

Video

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

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.

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

Jazz Etiquette: What To Do & How To React At A Jazz Concert

drumminfabe — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:55:18 +0000

Going through our inbox, we have received a couple of emails and comments pertaining to jazz etiquette, specifically related to how to respond to live music. Do I clap at the beginning, after each song, at the very end, after solos, etc. It is a little different than attending other performances like rock or classical concerts.

This short little article will give you a better understanding of a jazz performance, meaning how to perceive the music and the musicians. For this, I give a little information about the seating of jazz gigs and how this reflects the mindset of the jazz listener. More importantly, this article will explain when and how to respond to the music you hear (clapping, shouting, dancing, etc).

It is aimed at those who have never or seldom attend jazz concerts and might be interested in how to uphold the “audience member” part of the bargain.

Where to sit

(1) Most jazz gigs offer open seating, and this is actually an extension of the attitude toward the music. Nothing official or formal, just sit where you would like, so you can have a good time. Having said that, here are a couple little tips for the noobies to remember. Like most other concerts, try to avoid the first row center (seating or tables) – especially if you arrive late. Most of the time, this seating is usually reserved for special audience members (i.e. family, friends, and even for the performers at different times in the show). Obviously if there are quite a few people seated, and those front seats/tables aren’t taken, there might a reason for it.

Other than that, it is free game. If that doesn’t narrow it down enough, how about picking a spot where you will have a good line of sight to the musicians. This may be obvious; however let me clarify that this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can see the entire stage. Many times musicians (often lead singers/featured artists) will have their area that they will sit in or occasionally move around in. This is the featured part of the concert, so if you cannot get a seat with the entire group in vision at all times, go for the lead musicians. Some prefer to get very specific vantage points, where they are can see how the musician moves or how he plays the instrument (as opposed to just viewing them head on).

Sitting toward the back is not necessarily a bad thing at all. As I have mentioned, jazz is a little less formal when it comes to seating arrangements, as your interests and comfort are number one priority. Sit where you feel comfortable and listen how you want to listen. This is often where other artists, jazz efficiandos, and other reviewers/media end up sitting.

If you are a “tapper” or “head-bobber” (no, nothing impure intended here), you might want to be positioned a little off to the side – this is not because you might stand out or look ridiculous like if you were at a classical concert (in which case you would be ridiculed); rather it is simply because it could be distracting for other audience members.

Finally, late comers should always move quickly and quietly to the most convenient position (even if it means standing), so as to not distract the musicians or audience members. Pretty common sense, but it needs to be pointed out that this respect is of high priority than your assigned or usual spot (should that be the case).

(2) There is one other scenario regarding seating, and it is of the “dinner and music” variety. If there are assigned seats for the meal (usually determined by a host/hostess), this is where you will be for the show. On rare occasions, seating could change in between the meal and the concert, dictated by the course of events in the night (dinner, break, drink, music).

Applause

Probably one of the most confusing, and at times most controversial, things about the jazz performance is when to clap. Audience members generally enjoy showing their appreciation for the musicians, but most are reluctant to do so because of their inexperience with the music – result: the band thinks they suck because they didn’t hear any response from the audience.

Generally, these are the following times when audience members are expected to clap at a jazz gig: when the band first comes out, after each song, and when the set concludes (usually getting a little louder each time – if you like the group). These are pretty much set in stone, and you shouldn’t have any reluctance in clapping at these times. If you do not know when the end of the song occurs, wait for others to start. This is common in jazz, as the same song is seldom played the same way (even if played during different sets in the same night).

But what about solos? Glad you asked. The solo for the musician is more than their chance to play louder and more extravagant than the others on stage. They are being featured, and they have the opportunity to infuse their own flavor and message into the song. Jazz musicians, on the whole, are very expressive and enjoy leading the audience on a journey with their solo. But more than this, they are offering themselves to the audience and enjoy the response from the listeners. In other words, if there is no response from the crowd, the message has not been received as it was intended. In short, clapping at the end of EACH solo (even when there are multiple solos) is encouraged.

Having said that, there are some guidelines if you don’t want to be picked out of the crowd as “that guy”, but before you start worrying, I can assure you they’re pretty much based on common sense.

(1) Clapping after EACH solo is fine; however keep the clapping to a minimum. Now, that isn’t to say that musicians want to hear golf claps; rather keep the length of the clap brief. This is mostly because the music is still going, and the end of a solo could be an important transition to the next part of the song. This is in contrast with the classical or operatic clap which involves profuse bowing on the part of the performer and many curtain calls.

(2) In general, when there are multiple soloists playing right after the other, there is a progression where the lead or featured musician will be going last. This means there is generally a progression in the volume of the clapping, starting with moderate and ending in a loud. Keep in mind, though, that you should still refrain from any sustained clapping beyond 4 to 5 seconds.

(3) Yelling is generally not the best way to respond after a solo, although the occasional “yeah” or “woo-hoo” can be heard. Let us just point out that this is generally done by those you know the artists personally or who are at least a regular to jazz concerts. When going to your first couple of gigs, you might not want to be the first person to do this. In short, refrain from verbal outbursts or anything that might involve a spotlight being place on you.

(4) The avid jazz listener and frequent guest at jazz gigs will often let you a short comment or even a small clap IN THE MIDDLE of the solo. The reason for this is that they usually hear something in the solo that is very notable and common in jazz – “the quote.” Musicians like to quote themselves and each other, and what this means is that they might throw in a short reference to “pop goes the weasel” or other famous lick mid-solo. Not only is it creative and entertains the crowd with their musicality and musical ability, but it can even quote a musician who has used that line before (maybe even in the same song). For beginners, don’t worry about this. Let the regulars handle this, and don’t feel offended if it happens.

One last bit about applause. The noobie might perceive the “post-solo” clapping to be short and disrespectful, but it is well received. It is enough to hear response and know that the audience is with them, and at the same time, they know the rest of the song can keep going without thunderous applause or other interruption.

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)

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.

Buy Miles Davis Signature Headphones & Receive 50th Anniversary Boxed Set “Kind of Blue”

drumminfabe — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:46:21 +0000

Announcing the first ever In-Ear Headphones that sport the official name and signature of legendary trumpeter Miles Davis. Designed with extra cushion for a great feel, Monster has created a set of headphones that any Miles Davis fan would be proud of. Also be sure to check out their complimentary gift: 50th Anniversary Boxed Set of Kind Of Blue.

Get Yours Here

Monster, renowned for its many advanced consumer electronics accessories and fast becoming one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-performance headphones, is proud to announce the upcoming introduction of the world’s first audio hardware product to bear the official name and signature of legendary trumpeter Miles Davis – the new “Miles Davis Tribute” high-performance in-ear headphones.

Created in conjunction with Miles Davis Properties, LLC, the new headphones are being offered in a individually numbered limited edition. Adding value to this limited edition release, purchasers of the Miles Davis Tribute headphones will also be able to enjoy free of charge the official 50th Anniversary boxed set of the artist’s seminal album Kind of Blue, featuring two music CDs, a DVD and a 24-page booklet.

There is also a specially crafted “instrument case” for the Miles Davis Tribute Headphones with a plush velvet inlay and gold-printed signature. As is expected from Monster, the set comes with multiple styles and sizes of ear-tips, including the new high performance “SuperTip.”

More Info

Naim Records & Drummer Ted Sirota Offer CD Giveaway Contest: Album “Seize the Time”

drumminfabe — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 05:34:45 +0000

You are invited to enter the Naim Records “Ted Sirota – Seize The Time“ giveaway contest starting today. All About Jazz will be selecting 5 winners at the conclusion of the contest on January 18th, 2010. This is your chance to win a copy of the new album

Chicago-based drummer Ted Sirota formed the avant-garde post-bop group Rebel Souls in 1995 and quickly became one of Naim’s stalwart jazz artists, with three stunning True Stereo recordings with Naim engineer Ken Christianson; Rebel Roots (1996), Propaganda (1999) and Vs. the Forces of Evil (2000).

The latest release, Seize The Time (pictured at right) was release earlier this year and is dedicated to the many musicians who stood up boldly in the face of oppression and injustice and refused to surrender or back down despite harsh consequences”

The Rebel Souls have a unique formula comprising afro-pop, funk, reggae, ska and hip-hop underpinned by the rebellious jazz and socially-aware improv of the 1960s. Cultivating what the Chicago Reader describes as “immediately recognizable sound”.

More Info
Contest Sign Up

Who Doesn’t Like Jazz – Spinal Tap

drumminfabe — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:49:10 +0000

A recently found YouTube video has been floating around, featuring Spinal Tap’s “deep” philosophy on quality music and opinion of jazz. In case you haven’t heard of Spinal Tap, they were a big metal band back in the day. They give their thoughts on what jazz is, commenting that “it is just a bunch of people playing wrong notes” among other comments.

Wanna hear your thoughts on this people.

Video

Our Thoughts

No, you are not mistaken. That’s what kind of deep thought you get when asking a bunch of 60 year old metal guys what jazz is. But what can you really expect them to say about it? They probably have never even given it a chance. To say that jazz is just “playing wrong notes” is just ridiculous, and I would love to hear more about playing in one key.

I suppose they are very familiar with playing the a key – that is ONE key. Most of their music is confined to the same key and simply relies on about 4 chords. Guess what guys, you can buy a guitar and amp, turn it up real loud, and be able to play ALL of Spinal Tap’s music in like 4 minutes.

Apparently “Jazz is an accident” and when Spinal Tap’s guitarist improvises, it is intentional (unlike jazz). So, apparently jazz musicians never play what they intend to play – I guess they just play some random notes and call it jazz. Absolutely ridiculous. And so what if it intentional. Their guitarist probably learns one riff, then plays it for the rest of his life. Way to go – great guitar playing. Wouldn’t want them to explore anything new or anything.

To top it off, they take a few seconds to rip on Miles Davis. Seriously, not even in the same league. No authority to speak about Miles that way – or about jazz for that matter.

I don’t understand these guys come up with this stuff. They are simple musicians, and they probably don’t understand jazz. They are probably afraid of it because they don’t understand it. In my opinion, they should just stick to the simple stuff, and stop offering opinions on topics that are beyond their comprehension.

Feedback please.

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