Contributors' Corner - Feature Stories
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Butch Morris Band Big
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Many jazz aficionados remember Butch Morris’ cornet playing from his work with saxophone legend David Murray, appearing on such seminal recordings as Flowers for Albert, Let the Music Take You and The London Concert. However, it is his work as a conductor that was being celebrated during Black History month. Every Tuesday evening in February at 7:00pm...
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Concert Review by Bryan Zoran
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Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All-Stars At The Kennedy Center
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Those who love big band jazz have slim pickins these days. Other than the excellent Dave Holland Big Band that had graced the Kennedy Center stage a couple of weeks earlier, since Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin called it quits last year, there is not much going on apart from the ghost orchestras (Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie),...
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Concert Review by Peter Westbrook
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David 'Fathead' Newman at U of Maryland
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The Nyumburu Cultural Center has been a part of the University of Maryland College Park for 27 years, providing a program of "black social, cultural and intellectual interaction," including lectures, seminars, art exhibits, workshops in the dramatic arts, dance, music and creative writing. Academic courses in blues, jazz, gospel music performance and creative writing are also offered. Nyumburu, ("freedom...
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Concert Review by Peter Westbrook
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Dave Holland Big Band at the Kennedy Center
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Downtown Washington was eerily quiet this Saturday evening, the streets almost deserted following an earlier snowstorm. Moving around was still difficult and most people were smart and stayed home. But the lure of seeing an artist who had swept five Down Beat polls (bass, arranger, small group, big band, CD of the year) was too much and I managed...
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Concert Review by Peter Westbrook
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The Soul Gospel of Leon Ware
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A person’s 65th birthday is a special occasion; upon reaching such a milestone, a celebration is certainly in order. For some folks, turning 65 means an imminent retirement and the chance to finally get that senior discount at IHOP. Veteran soul singer and songwriter Leon Ware is a little different; having at last reached his golden years,...
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Concert Review by Edward Kane
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Michael Kasehammer Trio
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Michael Kasehammer Trio, Feb. 25, Winnipeg, Canada
Last night, German-born, Vancouver-based jazz pianist sensation Michael Kasehammer played what looked like a packed house at the West End Cultural Centre with bassist Marc Rogers and drummer Ben Riley. This was his first Winnipeg appearance since playing a small club show (the Liberty Grill) and opening for the Neville Brothers at Pantages...
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Concert Review by Shaleem Hosein (Guest Writer)
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Bathing in Burrell
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The Northampton, Massachusetts Center for the Arts was the venue for the last of three concerts in the annual “A World of Piano Series”. The artist for the last concert was Dave Burrell.
Alone and sitting at a piano in the front of a mid-size room, Burrell captivated the packed house with the sound he produced with...
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Concert Review by Lyn Horton
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Jack DeJohnette's Latin Project On Tour
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One of the busiest drummers in jazz, and one of its most important, Jack DeJohnette appears to be even busier than usual in 2005. DeJohnette is involved in a number of high-profile projects, including significantly the launch of his own record label, Golden Beams, which will release two percussion-based albums in April. And of course, he continues to tour...
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Concert Review by Don Williamson
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Kid Bastien Forever 2nd Annual New Orleans Jazz Party
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The Second Annual Kid Bastien Forever New Orleans Jazz Party, was celebrated in a big way at Toronto’s Grossman’s Tavern, GrossmansTavern.com, for two thoroughly musical days and nights, Fri. and Sat. Feb. 5-6, 2005, KidBastienForever@HappyPals.ca. In a fun way, it kept the memory alive of trumpet player extraordinaire, Kid Bastien, whose upbeat jazz band the Happy Pals, HappyPals.ca...
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Concert Review by Joe Curtis
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Kirk Lightsey, Bobby Wellins, Alan Barnes
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The Southport Melodic Jazz Club's inaugural winter
weekend event will live long in the memories of those
lucky enough to be there.
Capping a fantastic three days of performances at
the English seaside resort's Royal Clifton Hotel was Detroit-born pianist
Kirk Lightsey, whose link up with UK tenor man Bobby
Wellins had jazz fans roaring their approval.
The Melodic Jazz Club has a knack of...
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Concert Review by Robert Doyle
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New Jazz in New Orleans...
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With a master’s degree in music earned at “The Manhattan School of Music,” and some top-notch recordings to her credit, Baum’s muse is heavily influenced by Stravinsky and Bartok. But there’s no doubt about it, Baum’s compositions are snuggly rooted within the modern jazz vernacular, while affording her soloists’ ample stretching room.
Trumpeter Ralph Alessi displayed...
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Concert Review by Glenn Astarita
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Lizz Wright's vocalese is an illuminating experience
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Lizz Wright currently stands as one of jazz's most profound new voices of the 21st century. Her debut release in 2003 entitled "Salt" on the Verve Record Label has received considerable acclaim and continues to surprise anyone within earshot of her sound. Her ability to captivate audiences with her gospel-oriented roots has shed new light on vocal jazz as...
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Concert Review by Sheldon T. Nunn
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Celebrating A Jazz Mass at Disney Hall
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Jazz is sometimes referred to as American classical music, African-American classical music or some similarly tortured formulation. Of course, jazz ‘is’none of these things; jazz is jazz, and that really ought to be good enough. The form is its own unique entity, positioned in a place somewhere between popular music and concert music that allows its practitioners...
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Concert Review by Edward Kane
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Hi, Hi, Blackbird
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Shelly Berg's new CD Blackbird hit the streets on January 25th; LA area jazz got a tasty preview of the Concord release a week early at a special show by the Shelly Berg Trio at Catalina Bar & Grill. The show naturally drew heavily from the disc, which the pianist and USC professor plugged relentlessly (and amusingly) during...
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Concert Review by Edward Kane
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Dave Valentin at Howard University
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Dave Valentin- flute; Dr. Saïs Kamalidiin - flute, alto flute, director; Shyesha Osler, Stacey Winningham, Maya Colemon - flute; Dr. Thomas Korth - piano; Prof. Gerard Kunkel - guitar; Hamilton Hayes - bass; Clyde Adams - drums; "Killer" Joe Falero, Ivan Navas - Latin percussion
Guest artists: Arch Thompson, Dr. Peter Westbrook, Dr. Ronald Ziegler - flutes;
Byron Vickers -...
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Concert Review by Peter Westbrook
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Jim Seeley / Arturo O'Farrill Quintet
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Celebrating the release of a fantastic new CD simply entitled the Jim Seeley/Arturo O’Farrill Quintet, this dynamic group took the stage at Cornelia Street Café Friday, January 7. Released on the Zoho label, the CD is highly recommended. The co-leader and trumpet player, Jim Seeley, wrote all of the compositions.
The thing about these tunes that...
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Concert Review by Bryan Zoran
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Greetings From Jazz Central
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The words "Education," "Association," and "Conference" seem unlikely to figure prominently in a sentence ending with the phrase "Fun and exciting," so I suppose it's a testament to the power of Jazz that I am able to write with conviction that, in addition to being very informative, the 32nd Annual Conference of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE)...
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Concert Review by Edward Kane
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DeJohnette Supergroup
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A force of nature, Jack DeJohnette is one of the elite drummers of the modern jazz era. An opportunity to see and hear him should not be missed. That point was brought home with an exclamation point on Thursday night at Birdland. Pouring his heart and soul into the performance, DeJohnette displayed incredible ferocity and intensity....
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Concert Review by Bryan Zoran
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2004 Rundown
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Mika Pohjola Scandinavian Yuletide Voices
Yuletide Voices
Finnish jazz pianist Mika Pohjola generally abides by a credo of excellence! As this lovely affair has become a pre and post holiday favorite here at the home-front. Backed by a tentet, including male and female vocalists, this inspirational and wondrously recorded album boasts heady arrangements and sparkling contrasts. There...
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Viewpoint by Glenn Astarita
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The Triumph of Tony Bennett
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It is often said that one of the hallmarks of the great artists is that they can make the difficult seem effortless, like a natural extension of themselves. On November 28, 2004, at the Frederick Rose Theatre at the Dizzie Gillespie Coca Cola Center in New York City, Tony Bennett illustrated this effortless yet captivating quality, entrancing his...
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Concert Review by Jennifer Scheer
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OH NO! Not another look back at 2004!
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In no particular bleedin’ order:
1) Claire Ritter, Greener Than Blue (Zoning) Chamber jazz full of gentle warmth and quick wit.
2) Lukas Ligeti, Mystery System (Tzadik) Contemporary notated composition (sometimes referred to as “classical”) integrating jazz, Martin Denny exotica, electronic and African music that’s both creative and eminently approachable.
3) Von Freeman, The Great Divide (Premonition) Hearty hard bop with some “out”/avant monkey-wrenches...
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Viewpoint by Mark Keresman
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Tumbling Through the Tone World
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In the last concert of the year’s Solos and Duos Series produced by the University of Massachusetts Fine Arts Center, two of the most celebrated creative music improvisors performed one set for about two hours. The duo: William Parker and Hamid Drake. Both musicians are known for their rhythm section acumen. This time, they acted as their own lead...
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Concert Review by Lyn Horton
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MEETING OF THE MASTERS: TYNER-CLARKE-COBHAM
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When three heavyweights of this magnitude join forces, sparks are bound to fly. The anticipation and excitement of seeing a trio of this caliber is what jazz lovers live for. And when the musicians deliver a set as spiritually and musically satisfying as this group did, our obsession with this art form is affirmed and justified. ...
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Concert Review by Bryan Zoran
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Rick Stone
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Rick Stone proves to be one of the most inventive jazz guitarists around. His virtuoso guitar technique has much to offer to the adventurous and serious jazz lover. Stone is a passionate, inspired and dedicated guitarist, leader, arranger, writer and composer. A great team of musicians; pianist Tardo Hammer, bassist Yosuke Inoue and drummer Matt Wilson backs him.
It...
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Viewpoint by Beatrice Richardson
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Nancy Kelly Quartet In Concert
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It has been said by this writer that the seductiveness of the female voice in song, courts the soul of any man who listens. It is the lure of the siren and the irresistible call of the muse, Euterpe....
The lure of Nancy Kelly lies in the rhythmical, harmonic and melodic ideas and concepts that flow forth from this...
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Concert Review by John Gilbert
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