Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival

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African American, Jazz, Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival

Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival

The Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival presented by M&T Bank today announced its largest lineup ever with more than 1000 artists performing at 285 concerts and a record number of international artists.

Jeff Beck, Gladys Knight, Herbie Hancock, Keb’ Mo’, Bernie Williams and John Pizzarelli will headline the nine-day event that runs from Friday June 11 through Saturday June 19. After a fast sell-out of the first Jeff Beck performance on June 18, festival producers added a second show that evening.

The Festival’s ninth edition includes more than 60 free shows. It takes place in 17 different venues and outdoor stages all within walking distance in Rochester’s East End Cultural District. Gibbs Street will become “Jazz Street” and will be closed to traffic for all nine days.

The Festival, already known for delivering one of the most extensive international lineups of any jazz festival in the United States, will add even more concerts this year from artists outside the United States. In addition to two well-established popular international series, Nordic Jazz Now and Made in the UK, three bands from Denmark will be presented in association with Copenhagen Jazz Festival Experience.

GRAMMY® AWARD-WINNING BASSIST-COMPOSER CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE

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African American, Bass, Christian McBride, Jazz, XM Radio

TO LAUNCH NEW SHOW ON SIRIUS XM REAL JAZZ CHANNEL APRIL 3 THE LOWDOWN: CONVERSATIONS WITH CHRISTIAN

SIRIUS XM’s Real Jazz channel, SIRIUS channel 72 and XM channel 70, will launch a new show hosted by Grammy® Award-winning bassist-composer and Mack Avenue recording artist Christian McBride. The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian, which will premiere on Saturday, April 3 at 1 pm ET as part of SIRIUS XM’s celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, will be recorded in front of a live audience at various jazz clubs across the country and will feature onstage dialogues and musical duets between McBride and his special guest artists. The first episode, featuring legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea, was recorded at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola.

Conversations with CHRISTIAN

About The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian, McBride states: “I’m not only excited about being able to expose other facets of my personality, but also exposing different facets of the many diverse guests who will appear on the SIRIUS XM show. Imagine hearing Chick Corea talk about football and to hear Angelique Kidjo imitating a New York cab driver. I mean, this shows special – if I must say so myself.”

Other guests will include Roy Hargrove, Lou Donaldson, Bill Charlap and Angelique Kidjo. The concept for the program derived from a digital downloads duets and conversations project that McBride released on Mack Avenue (available on iTunes) called “Conversations With Christian.” The Lowdown: Conversations with Christian will air every Saturday at 1 pm ET on SIRIUS XM’s Real Jazz.

..:: Source: DL Media ::..

DLMedia

José James and Jef Neve | For All We Know

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Jazz, Jef Neve, Jose James, Male Vocalist, Piano

José James (and Jef Neve) - For All We Know

José James and Jef Neve | For All We Know – [Impluse!, 2010]

For All We Know is the title of the first American album from José James (and Jef Neve). Now that the cover art is in hand, it can truly be said that this is solidly in the Impulse! tradition, both inside and out. In fact, it’s the first album of newly recorded music to be issued on the label in six years.

José has been working out of London for the past few years and has released two albums, The Dreamer and Blackmagic on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label. He’s built an international following with collaborations with a wide assortment of jazz, club and hip-hop acts, including Basement Jaxx, Nicola Conte, Toshio Matsuura, Jazzanova, Flying Lotus, Christian McBride, Elan Mehler, the Heritage Orchestra, Robert Mitchell, Jazzy Sport and Simbad.

Pianist Bruce Barth and Saxophonist Steve Wilson in collaboration with “We Always Swing” Jazz Series set to release Home on April 27

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Bruce Barth, Piano, Saxophone, Steve Wilson

Barth and Wilson - Home

“House Concert,” recorded live in Columbia, Missouri, a first from well-respected duo

Jazz Series/Co-Leaders set to “host” CD-Release Party at Murry’s, a favorite local venue, on April 25

The “We Always Swing” Jazz Series, the Columbia, Missouri-based, concert presenting and educational organization, and two well-respected present-day artists – Bruce Barth and Steve Wilson – are set to release Home, recorded live in Columbia, Missouri. The self-produced project captures the pianist and saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist on June 27, 2009, in a living-room performance.

Trombone Shorty | Backatown (4/20/2010)

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African American, Funk, Jazz, Male Vocals, Trombone, Trombone Shorty

Trombone Shorty - Backatown

.:|:. About: Trombone Shorty

In 2010 alone, 24-year-old New Orleans singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist and all-around musical powerhouse Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews has signed with Verve Forecast Records and performed on Good Morning America and ESPN’s SportsCenter in the run-up to the Super Bowl. He has seen recordings he contributed to earn a Grammy® award (Buckwheat Zydeco’s “Lay Your Burden Down”) and an Oscar® nomination (Dr. John’s “Down In New Orleans” from the hit Disney film ‘The Princess and the Frog’). He has taped two appearances – as himself – for the upcoming HBO series ‘Treme’ from ‘The Wire’ creator David Simon, and played with his band Orleans Avenue as honored guests on Saints owner Tom Benson’s float in a victorious post-Super Bowl Mardi Gras parade.

Earl MacDonald | Re:VISIONS

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Earl MacDonald, Jazz, Jazz Orchestra, Piano

Earl MacDonald - Re-VISIONS

Earl MacDonald .:|:. Re:VISIONS – [Death Defying Records, 2010]

The multifaceted pianist/composer & arranger Earl MacDonald a native of Winnipeg is currently the director of jazz studies at the University of Connecticut. Preceding his present position MacDonald obtained his master’s degree of jazz studies at Rutgers where he also studied with another accomplished pianist named Kenny Barron.

“…an extremely talented pianist and composer with a firm grasp of jazz tradition. He is constantly searching for new ways to express himself through his music.” –Kenny Barron

On this enticing musical journey aptly titled “Re:VISIONS,” MacDonald demonstrates way he’s revered as a unwavering accompanist / improviser whose also been compared to such jazz greats as Don Sebesky, Mike Abene and Slide Hampton according to trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson. MacDonald scores six originals of the nine selections with one co-authored by the late jazz saxophonist Bob Berg … the tunes by MacDonald remarkably capture his vision of marrying these detailed works for a jazz orchestra.

The 33rd Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival

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African American, Christian Scott, Hiromi, Jazz, Marcus Miller, Spyro Gyra

Whether it’s out-of-this-world improvisation or boogie-woogie notes of Big Band music that moves you, the 33rd Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival embodies the spirit of Jazz and will unite the City of Atlanta for 31 days of amazing music during the ‘31 Days of Jazz‘ this May. The month-long celebration culminates in Piedmont Park on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30, with music from local and nationally-renowned artists including Marcus Miller ‘Tutu Revisited the music of Miles Davis‘ featuring Christian Scott, Spyro Gyra, MF Production’s Celebration of Lionel Hampton featuring Diane Schuur & Jason Marsalis, Stanley Clarke Band featuring Hiromi and more of all that jazz!

The Dixon-Rhyne Project | Reinvention

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Jazz, Melvin Rhyne, Organ, Rob Dixon, Saxophone

The Dixon-Rhyne Project - Reinvention

The Dixon-Rhyne Project | Reinvention – [OWL Studios, 2007]

Here’s a case of old school meets new school.

Saxophonist Rob Dixon, who we earlier introduced as a key player in Derrick Gardner’s Jazz Prophets, is another Indianapolis-based jazz talent who’s been getting notice since the mid-nineties as an up and comer, for both his playing and composing.

Hammond B3 organ maestro Melvin Rhyne, on the other hand, has been around much longer. He was the organist in Wes Montgomery’s band on and off between 1959 and 1964, appearing on some of Montgomery’s vital Riverside releases, including The Wes Montgomery Trio and Boss Guitar. Since the nineties, he’s recorded as leader on a semi-regular basis.

Read the complete review at www.blogcritics.org …

..:: Source: BlogCritics.org & OWL Studios ::..

Check out the 18th Annual Trumpet Awards on TVOne

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Kirk Whalum, Saxophone, Trumpet Awards

Trumpet Awards - 2010

Check out the phenomenal brother’s Whalum [Kirk & Kevin] performing “Running Away” from The Gospel According to Jazz Ch. 3. The show will be airing nationally on Sunday – April 4th, 2010 at 9pm ET. Visit: http://www.trumpetfoundation.org/ for market listings.

The Gospel According to Jazz Ch. 3 is available now at Amazon.com

..:: Source: http://www.KirkWhalum.com ::..

New Music [Jazz] for the Week of 3/30/2010

Tags

Christian Scott, Jazz, Thelonious Monk, Tomasz Stanko

Greetings once again my fellow jazz enthusiasts … as you know it’s almost unbelievable but March is just about done, over, I mean …. finished! Today, I’ve conjured up another appetizing mix of noteworthy jazz recordings! On the menu this week is the featured album of the week by New Orleans native/trumpeter Christian Scott and his fourth offering on Concord Jazz titled “Yesterday You Said Tomorrow.” Also out of the box, we have ECM recording artist Tomasz Stanko, vocalist Bobby Caldwell, guitarist Chris Standring & Steve Oliver [separate titles] vocalist Stacey Kent and a host of others.

Featured Album of the Week

Christian Scott - Yesterday You Said Tomorrow

Christian Scott .:|:. Yesterday You Said Tomorrow – [Concord Jazz, 2010]

When trumpeter Christian Scott was growing up in New Orleans in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, his grandfather gave him and his brother Kiel extra reading assignments each week as a supplement to their assigned schoolwork. If the young students failed to finish their books within the week, their grandfather would say, “Yesterday you said tomorrow...” It was the older man’s way of emphasizing the importance of recognizing the work at hand, and making the most of the available time to complete it.

Visit, http://www.christianscott.net/ for more details about this transcending talent!