In addition, Rob treated the crowd to some of his prior releases on his Tunnel Vision and Jazz Hustler albums. Rob had the privilege to also show his promo video filmed on South Beach, an outstanding performance by one of todays smooth jazz artists.

Artist Information:

Rob Batie was born in St. Augustine, Florida, He begin playing the saxophone at the tender age of nine years old. His choice of instrument was due to the intrigue of the many keys the saxophone has. As a child he and his family moved around because his father was serving in the military. The family lived in Guam, NY, GA, MD, VA and Europe. While his home address changed frequently, the one constant in his life was music and sports. By the time he graduated from high school in Manassas VA, the young musician could play all four saxophones, as well as keyboards and drums.

While living in a thriving Atlanta music scene, Rob Batie began performing at Jazz Festivals, Churchill Downs, and other Jazz hot spots around the city and the east coast. Batie has performed at the world-famous “Apollo Theatre” in Harlem, New York receiving the nod from the tough NYC Apollo crowd. He has performed as the headliner or opening act for various artists in Washington DC, Tampa, Miami, Los Angeles, and other cities across the US, Canada and Europe.

After a successful tour performing, Batie went into the studio to record his debut CD entitled Tunnel Vision. Receiving critical acclaim in cities like Montreal, Philadelphia, and Atlanta to name a few, Batie went back on the road to promote the new CD. Upon his return to Atlanta, he felt he the need for change so he relocated to the beautiful sands and surroundings of Miami Beach where he is expanding fan base.

Miami, with its sun, sand and fun inspired Batie to go back into the studio to record his second CD entitled Jazz Hustler, which was released in November, 2004 on Jazzman Land Music (his own label). Batie writes and arranges all his own music drawing on his vast and diverse experiences. When asked to describe his ideal demographic fan base, Batie states that his fans are a lot like himself, professionals and everyday people of all ages who have an insatiable thirst for creative, quality music that includes urban, fusion, reggae, Latin and progressive jazz.

Making music is and always will be his first love. In his current locations Batie performs in local Miami night clubs and lounges, promoting his newest – and already successful – release Love x 3 (picture below, on the right).

More info about Rob Batie

Album Info:

Artist: Rob Batie
Title: Love x 3
Release Date: (June 18, 2009)

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2. Luba Mason’s New Album “Krazy Love”: A closer look
3. Saxophonist Benny Golson Releases New Album: “New Time, New ‘Tet”

His new album, Burnin, now scheduled for release July 21st, 2009, is highly anticipated by jazz and R&B fans alike.

Originally the album was schedule for release August 11th; however recently Talyor has announced on his forum that it has been moved up to July 21st of this year. Fans have voiced their opinion, and everyone is thrilled to hear about the change in release date. Coming off seven great albums (see list below), his new release will also bring about a concert tour. According to his website, the tentative schedule has been posted:

07-04-09** Hyatt Newporter — Newport Beach, CA
07-08-09* Spirit Cruise Ship — New York, NY
07-09-09* Birchmere — Alexandra, VA
07-10-09* Ramshead — Annapolis, MD
08-02-09 **Jazz on the River — Detroit, Mi
08-22-09 The Soiled Dove — Denver, CO
10-11-09 Catalina jazz Festival — Catalina, CA

* Tour with Alex Bugnon
** Gentlemen of the Night Tour with Marion Meadows, Michael Lington

Album List:

* 1995: On the Horn
* 1997: Pleasure Seeker
* 2000: Undercover
* 2001: Hypnotic
* 2003: Steppin’ Out
* 2005: Nightlife
* 2007: Ladies’ Choice

For updates regarding this latest release and his concert tour, be sure to check in with Paul Taylor’s website.

Also be sure to check with On Target Media Group for updates regarding this release.

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During the 1960s, Rollins recorded The Bridge with Jim Hall and Bob Cranshaw, led a quartet with trumpeter Don Cherry and drummer Billy Higgins and recorded with his idol Hawkins. He also received a Grammy nomination for his score for the popular film, Alfie.

In 1972, he released Next Album. In the early ‘80s, Rollins was working under the Milestone label and produced two dozen albums including tour recordings and in-studio tracks with the likes of Tommy Flanagan, Jack DeJohnette, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams, George Duke, Ron Carter and McCoy Tyner. In 2005, Rollins formed his own record label, Doxy Records. The first release under Doxy, Sonny, Please earned a Grammy nomination. Rollins’ Road Shows: Vol. 1 and a DVD, Sonny Rollins in Vienne, have also been released under Doxy.

Rollins won his first Grammy for This Is What I Do (2000) and his second for 2004’s Without a Song: The 9/11 Concert. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2004. Additionally, he was inducted into the Academy of Achievement at the International Achievement Summit in Los Angeles (2006) and was a recipient of the Polar Music Prize, presented in Stockholm (2007). Most recently, he was named Best Tenor Saxophonist in the 2008 Down Beat Critics’ Poll and the Jazz Times Readers’ Poll and by the Jazz Journalists Association.

Sources:
- Sonny Rollin’s Official Site
- Wikipedia.org

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A native of Dayton, Ohio, Shank worked with saxophonist Charlie Barnet in North Carolina before moving to California in the 1940s. There, he played with trumpeter Shorty Rogers and then pianist Stan Kenton.

Shank was one of the first jazz musicians to explore Brazilian music, and recorded a number of albums for World Pacific, a world music label, from the 1950s to the 1970s, according to JazzTimes.

During his career, Shank worked with Sergio Mendes and the Mamas and the Papas. His flute work is heard in the latter’s song, “California Dreamin.’” Shank reached the Billboard charts in 1966 with his album Michelle, a collection of covers of pop hits.

More recently, Shank focused on his alto work and formed the Bud Shank Big Band in 2007. Shank was recording a new album in San Diego the day before he died.

More information about Shank can be found on his website.

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3. Saxophonist Benny Golson Releases New Album: “New Time, New ‘Tet”

Joining Fields onstage for the release will be keyboardist Jeff Babko (Jimmy Kimmel Live!), trumpeter Walt Fowler (Frank Zappa/James Taylor), bassist Ian Martin (Ravi Coltrane), drummer Joel Taylor (Andy Summers/Allan Holdsworth) and percussion wizard Luis Conte.

Other great albums from Brandon Fields that we recommend listening to include:
(1) Everbody’s Business(1999)
(2) Brandon Fields (self-titled, 1995)
(3) Other Places (1990)

About The Venue:

A restaurant and club, The Baked Potato is a jazz lovers dream, entertaining guest for years. This tiny jazz and blues joint offer an intimate, no-frills atmosphere that puts all the emphasis on the music. The club has earned a reputation for booking superb local talent and big-name artists. This is a musician’s and music lover’s club.

Their kitchen is open 7pm to 1am, so you can order food while you are taking in the music. Order dishes like melted cheese potato, marinated steak potato, and teriyaki chicken potato.

For more information about Brandon Fields, visit www.brandonfields.com.

Location:
The Baked Potato
3787 Cahuenga Blvd
Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 980-1615
www.thebakedpotato.com

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On Friday, March 27th, New Haven’s Firehouse 12 will present a two-set performance by saxophonist and Hartford native Jimmy Greene’s five year-old working quartet. The group, featuring pianist Xavier Davis (Regina Carter, Stefon Harris, Freddie Hubbard), bassist Reuben Rogers (Charles Lloyd, Joshua Redman, Dianne Reeves) and drummer Eric Harland (Taylor Eigsti, Dave Holland, Kurt Rosenwinkel) will be on tour celebrating Greene’s forthcoming April release, Mission Statement (RazDaz Recordz/Sunnyside).

Artist Information:

A graduate of Bloomfield High School, and alumnus of both the Greater Hartford Academy of the Performing Arts and The Hartt School of Music, where he currently teaches, Greene, now 34, left the Hartford area for New York in 1997 to tour and record with jazz legend Horace Silver. He has since worked with such notable bandleaders as Kenny Barron, Avishai Cohen, Harry Connick, Jr., Chick Corea, Tom Harrell, Lewis Nash, Kendrick Oliver, Mario Pavone and Steve Turre.

His own quartet has performed at major jazz venues all over New York and throughout the United States, and he has recorded under his own name for the CrissCross, RCA Victor and NuJazz Records labels. Mission Statement is his seventh release as a leader. Members of the quartet include Jimmy Greene (tenor and soprano saxophones), Xavier Davis (piano), Reuben Rogers(bass), and Eric Harland (drums).

For more information about Jimmy Greene, please visit his site.

Location:
Firehouse 12
45 Crown St.
New Haven CT 06510
(203) 785-0468
http://firehouse12.com/index.asp

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The Lou Donaldson Quartet will appear at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City February 24th-26th. Lou Donaldson, an alto sax player influenced by Charlie Parker but possessing a distinctive blues-based sound of his own, has worked with artists such as Milt Jackson, Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter and Clifford Brown and has created a substantial body of work as a leader.

His current group includes Randy Johnston on guitar, Akiko Tsuruga on organ, and Fukushi Tainaka on drums. Performances at the Bakery will begin at 8:00 pm and 9:30 pm each night.

Artist Information:

Lou Donaldson, alto saxophonist, recording star and entertainer extraordinaire was born in Badin, North Carolina on November 1, 1926. He is the child of parents, Lucy Wallace Donaldson, mother, and Louis Andrew Donaldson, Sr., father. His mother was a first grade teacher at Badin High School, Musical Director at the school, and a concert pianist who was a graduate of Cheney University. His father was a graduate of Livingstone College, an AME Zion minister, and insurance agent.

Lou never studied piano because his mother had a switch that she would crack across the fingers when students missed a note. That turned him completely away from being a pianist. When he was about 9 years old, she heard him singing or humming all of the piano etudes that the students played and she took him aside and told him that he had more musical talent than anyone in the family and that he needed to play some type of instrument.

She got a clarinet from the Band Director, Leo Gabriel, at the Alcoa Aluminum Plant Band. Although she knew nothing about the clarinet, she taught him basic music and they used the clarinet book to learn the fingerings and how to play the clarinet. Lou mastered the instrument and this ignited his pursuit of a career in music.

His first recordings were with bop emissaries Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk in 1952, and he led several small groups with other jazz luminaries such as trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Horace Silver, and drummer Art Blakey.

In 1953, he also recorded sessions with the trumpet virtuoso Clifford Brown, and Philly Joe Jones. In 1954, Donaldson briefly joined the emerging hard bop ensemble, the Jazz Messengers, and appeared on one of their most popular albums, A Night At Birdland.

Although he has recorded as a sideman, he has never belonged to any band other than those of which he was leader; he has been a bandleader since the mid-1950s. He has recorded in the bop, hard bop, and soul jazz genres. For many years his pianist was Herman Foster.

More information about Lou Donaldson

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Recommended Listening:

(1) Lou Takes Off (2008)
(2) Gravy Train (2007)
(3) The Lou Donaldson Quartet/Quintet/Sextet (1999 remastered, original 1952)

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Performance Details:

Ticketholders for the Feb. 25th performance may also attend an live interview with KJAZZ’s Bubba Jackson (reservations are highly recommended for this show and can be made by contacting The Jazz Bakery at the phone number below).

Location:
Jazz Bakery
3233 Helms Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
(310) 271-9039

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The Jazz Showcase in Dearborn Station presents New York based tenor titan Eric Alexander on Thursday, February 12th through Sunday, February 15th, 2009. Alexander has a big, warm sound that is easy on the ears and a musical depth that allows him to continue exploring harmonies while remaining firmly in the jazz idiom. Chicago South Side residents may remember his early work with organ groups, including Hammond B3 master Charles Earland who recorded a couple albums with Alexander, which were Alexander’s debut recordings.

Alexander’s first CD under his own name, Straight Up, was recorded for Chicago’s Delmark records in 1992. Since leaving the Windy City, Alexander has established himself as one of the premier jazz tenors of our time.

Artist Information:

With 23 CD’s out under his own name and appearing as sideman on countless others, Eric Alexander has made his mark on the jazz world and documented his progress as a tenor master. He has a rich tone and an aggressive, driving style that grabs the listeners attention and doesn’t let go. One can hear the influence of Sonny Stitt, Jackie McLean and George Coleman in his playing. At William Paterson College in New Jersey Eric advanced his studies under the tutelage of Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, Rufus Reid, and others.

During the 1990s, after placing second behind Joshua Redman in the 1991 Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition, Alexander threw himself into the whirlwind life of a professional jazz musician. He played with organ trios on the South Side of Chicago, made his recording debut in 1991 with Charles Earland, and cut his first album as leader in 1992. Seventeen recordings followed including his latest recording, a CD / DVD combo called Prime Time: In Concert.

In 2004, Eric signed an exclusive contract with the New York-based independent jazz label, HighNote Records where he has amassed a considerable discography of critically-acclaimed recordings. Most recent among them is “Temple of Olympic Zeus” (HCD 7172), “The Battle” with Vincent Herring and Mike LeDonne (HCD 7137) and “It’s all in the Game” (HCD 7148) with Harold Mabern.

Eric continues to tour the world over to capacity audiences. Using NYC as his home base he can regularly be seen in the NY clubs including ongoing appearances at Smoke.

For more information, see www.ericalexanderjazz.com.

Location:
The Jazz Showcase
Dearborn Station
806 S. Plymouth Court
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 360-0234
http://www.jazzshowcase.com

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To celebrate Golson’s 80th birthday and his storied six-decade career, the composer and musician will be honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, just four days after the inauguration. In conjunction with the release of New Time, New ‘Tet, Concord Jazz will also release a companion compilation on the same day, The Best of Benny Golson; a career-spanning retrospective release.

Audio Streams:

(1) “L’Adieu”
(Quicktime)
(Windows Media)

(2) “Whisper Not”
(Quicktime)
(Windows Media)

Video:

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-General Information about the artist and the release of New Time, New ‘Tet here.

-Artist Information here.

-Further Information from On Target Media Group here.
—–

Related posts:

1. Saxophonist Benny Golson Releases New Album: “New Time, New ‘Tet”
2. Jazz Saxophonist Benny Reid To Release New Album: “Escaping Shadows” Out In Stores September 15th
3. Christian Scott Releases New Album On Concord Jazz: Live At Newport CD+DVD

New Time, New ‘Tet is Golson’s first new studio recording in five years and elaborates the traditional jazztet concept; combining Golson’s new compositions with standard jazz repertoire. The album features classics like Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy,” Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin,” and Grammy-winning vocalist Al Jarreau reprises Golson’s classic “Whisper Not.”

To celebrate Golson’s 80th birthday and his storied six-decade career, the composer and musician will be honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, just four days after the inauguration. In conjunction with the release of New Time, New ‘Tet, Concord Jazz will also release a companion compilation on the same day, The Best Of Benny Golson; a career-spanning retrospective release.

About The Artist:

Multitalented and internationally famous jazz legend, – a composer, arranger, lyricist, producer – and tenor saxophonist of world note, Benny Golson was born in Philadelphia, PA on January 25, 1929. Raised with an impeccable musical pedigree, Golson has played in the bands of world famous Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Earl Bostic and Art Blakey.

Few jazz musicians can claim to be true innovators and even fewer can boast of a performing and recording career that literally redefines the term “jazz”. Benny Golson has made major contributions to the world of jazz with such jazz standards as: Killer Joe, I Remember Clifford, Along Came Betty, Stablemates Whisper Not, Blues March, Five Spot After Dark, and Are you Real?

Benny Golson is the only living jazz artist to have written 8 standards for jazz repertoire. These jazz standards have found their way into countless recordings internationally over the years and are still being recorded.

He has recorded over 30 albums for many recording companies in the United States and Europe under his own name and innumerable ones with other major artists. A prodigious writer, Golson has written well over 300 compositions.

—–
-For more artist information, please visit his site.

-Further information about the album here.

-More artist information from On Target Media Group.
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Related posts:

1. Inside Scoop On Benny Golson’s New Album “New Time, New ‘Tet”: Plus an additional “best of” album
2. Jazz Saxophonist Benny Reid To Release New Album: “Escaping Shadows” Out In Stores September 15th
3. Saxophonist Najee Releases New Album “Mind Over Matter”