The 2012 Copenhagen Jazz Festival, July 6-15, Announces Its Full Program

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Ambrose Akinmusire, Brad Mehldau Trio, Christian Scott Quintet, Dave Douglas, Gerald Clayton, Jim Hall Quintet, Joe Lovano, Lee Konitz, The Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Vijay Iyer Trio, Wayne Shorter

“New Orleans and New York are renowned for being the world epicentres of jazz, but leave State-side to find yourself in Europe, and there’s truly only one city that approaches that same spirit, passion and swing: Copenhagen, called by some ‘Europe’s Jazz Capital’.” – The Copenhagen Post

“The richness of Denmark’s jazz tradition is beyond question. The country whose love of the music once embodied resistance to the Nazis and later offered a comfortable home to American exiles such as Stan Getz, Ben Webster and Dexter Gordon continues to breed formidable new talents and ideas nearly nine decades after its first homegrown artists appeared. But knowing this doesn’t prepare one for the mammoth scope of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Its sheer size-the most lightly programmed of its 10 days (of which this writer saw the final five) featured 76 performances-is overwhelming by itself, even without considering its stylistic and international breadth.”
– Michael J. West – JazzTimes

Amina Figarova -][- TWELVE – [In and Out Records, 2012 | Review] –

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Amina Figarova, Brad Platteau, Chris “Buckshot’ Strik, Ernie Hammes, In and Out Records, Jeroen Vierdag, Marc Mommaas, Piano

Amina Figarova, TWELVE

Amina Figarova -][- TWELVE – [In and Out Records, 2012 | Review] –

With the emergence of so many new artists on the scene it’s likely on any given day to overlook some of these notable treasures. Thankfully internationally distinguished pianist, composer and arranger Amina Figarova’s latest album on the renowned German based label In + Out Records “Twelve” wasn’t one that slipped through the cracks and caught my attention right away.

Born and raised in Baku Azerbaijan, Netherlands Amina is here with a wonderful yet intriguing “Twelve” an impressive project that symbolizes two very important factors, one the number of songs and secondly this outing gives her reason to celebrate her twelfth recording.

Bob Mintzer Big Band’s “For the Moment”: New MCG Jazz CD Due June 19

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Alex Acuna, Bob Mintzer, Chico Pinheiro, MCG Jazz, Peter Erskine, Russell Ferrante, Saxophonist

Big bands and the music of Brazil: For Bob Mintzer, these two limitless creative reservoirs have fed his musical imagination since he was emerging as a prodigiously gifted teenage saxophonist. His latest MCG Jazz album, “For the Moment,” combines these formative forces with an ingenious program of Brazilian jazz for the Grammy Award-winning Bob Mintzer Big Band.

Bob Mintzer Big Band, FOR THE MOMENT

Richmond, CA (PRWE May 29, 2012)- The Grammy Award–winning Bob Mintzer Big Band has explored diverse styles of music in its illustrious 25-year recording history—from New York and Afro-Cuban to Count Basie and John Coltrane. On the band’s new MCG Jazz CD, “For the Moment,” which is scheduled for release June 19, saxophonist/composer/arranger/bandleader Mintzer puts the spotlight on Brazilian music.