All Your Jazz » jazz radio

Brazilian Jazz Channel: AccuJazz Internet Radio Keeps Adding To Their Huge List Of Channels

jazzman — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:50:58 +0000

Ever since Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim fused American jazz with Brazilian samba in the 1950s to form the new style known as Bossa Nova, countless musicians have been inspired to create music marrying the two traditions. Brazilian harmonies and rhythms have pervaded modern jazz in the past 50 years, influencing artists from Stan Getz to Maria Schneider.

Help celebrate Brazilian Jazz with AccuJazz Internet radio as they launch a new streaming channel devoted to the style. It is free to use and available 24 hours a day.

The subtle syncopated rhythms, complex harmonies, and combination of dissonance and sweetness in Brazilian music make for art of rare beauty. Listeners will hear these traits in the over 600 songs playing on the channel. The playlist includes timeless Bossa Nova by Joao Gilberto, American masters like Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz, a sprinkling of Brazilian-influenced hard bop by artists like Dexter Gordon and Joe Henderson, and jazz-tinged MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) by artists such as Joao Bosco, Gilberto Gil, Beth Carvalho, and Caetano Veloso. Brazilian expatriates such as Eliane Elias, Jovino Santos Neto, Luciana Souza and Claudio Roditi also make up a large portion of the playlist.

San Mateo Jazz Station KCSM 91.1 FM Fights To Stay Alive: Benefit concerts scheduled for June 30th

jazzman — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:17:08 +0000

San Mateo jazz station KCSM 91.1 FM is nothing less than a Bay Area treasure. Indeed, thanks to the wonders of Internet radio, the channel now ranks as international gem.

This great commercial-free jazz station based at the College of San Mateo, however, is also in big financial trouble. The channel is facing a $40,000 shortfall in its operating budget, thanks to statewide cuts in education funding, and that money needs to made up soon or KCSM might be forced to sign off — for good.

Fortunately, there is some hope, in the form of two benefit concerts at Yoshi’s at Jack London Square in Oakland on June 30th, 2009. These “Close the Gap” fundraisers will feature three talented Bay Area pianists — Denny Zeitlin, Jon Jang and Taylor Eigsti.

It’s hard to overstate how important it is for local jazz fans to support KCSM. The channel is said to be one of the last remaining all-jazz stations on the planet. It’s certainly one of the few that still favors “real” jazz, as defined by such titans as Charles Mingus, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, as opposed to the commercially respectable, and much maligned, smooth variety. (Smooth jazz stations, by the way, are also in real trouble — as local listeners found out when KKSF 103.7 FM changed over to a classic rock format last month.)

If both of these “Closing the Gap” shows manage to sell out, according to organizer Chuy Varela, the station should be safe. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

For information about donating to the station, call (800) 477-5276 or visit www.kcsm.org.

Tickets for the fundraiser are $50. Show times are 8 and 10 p.m.

Location:
Yoshi’s at Jack London Square
510 Embarcadero West
Oakland, CA
(510) 238-9200
www.yoshis.com

WKCR-FM New York Presents Radio Festival: Devoted to jazz drummer Roy Haynes

jazzman — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 06:54:01 +0000

WKCR-FM New York is presentong a radio festival devoted to jazz drummer and NEA Jazz Master Roy Haynes. WKCR will be airing his music continuously from Sunday, January 11th at 8:00 am until Friday, January 23rd at 9:00 pm, a total of 301 hours.

To listen to the festival online visit www.columbia.edu/cu/wkcr and click on “Live Broadcast”.

Seemingly ageless, Roy Haynes has played the drums from the bebop days of the 1940s to the present day with the same restless energy. Haynes has remained fresh in his outlook and in his thirst for collaborating with younger artists and those who play in challenging styles, as is shown in his work with such disparate artists as Roland Kirk, Danilo Pérez, and Pat Metheny. He also has been a favorite sideman for any number of artists because of his crisply distinctive drumming style. Thelonious Monk once described Haynes’ drumming as “an eight ball right in the side pocket.”

Artist Background:

Haynes became interested in music through his father, a church organist. In his earliest professional playing years in the mid-1940s, he worked in Boston with pianist Sabby Lewis, Frankie Newton, and Pete Brown. In 1945, he joined the Luis Russell band, remaining until 1947, whereupon he joined Lester Young’s band. In the late 1940s to mid-1950s, he worked with such greats as Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Kai Winding. He later played in Monk’s band at the Five Spot Cafe before forming his own band in 1958.

Some of his most noted work in the early 1960s came when he subbed for Elvin Jones in the John Coltrane Quartet, both on gigs and on records. His drumming style was a marked change for Coltrane from Elvin Jones’ approach — lighter, less aggressive than Jones — and it gave the quartet a different sound. Among his other affiliations during the late 1950s to early 1960s were with George Shearing, Kenny Burrell, Lennie Tristano, and Stan Getz. In addition, his style of drumming was an ideal accompaniment to singers, accenting the vocals without overpowering them, and he worked with Sarah Vaughan, and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

He later joined vibist Gary Burton, who had been a member of Getz’s band. After Burton’s band, which was one of the precursors of the jazz-rock movement, Haynes formed the Hip Ensemble, featuring such musicians as George Adams, and Hannibal Marvin Peterson. The band had a decidedly contemporary flavor, often employing various guitarists. He also has enjoyed an occasional playing relationship with Chick Corea, dating back to their Stan Getz days. He joined Corea’s Trio Music band in 1981. Haynes received the prestigious Danish award, the JAZZPAR Prize, in 1994.

While periodically leading his own bands, he has also worked with artists such as Billy Taylor, Hank Jones, and Ted Curson, and as an innovative drummer in a variety of settings. His bands have included some of the more exceptional young musicians on the scene, ranging from his Hip Ensemble to his various quartets. He continues to influence the next generation of drummers with his distinctive sound.