Because vocalist Rene Marie’s new disc "Live at the Jazz Standard" doesn’t have liner notes it’s unknown what inspired her to make a live recording of eleven songs--eight s…

"Part of my mission is to carry on the legacy of jazz musicians that made great music. Most of them died prematurely and never achieved the kind of success they deserved. Their legacy needs to be remembered," says saxophonist Donald Walden when asked why he recorded Focus The Music of Tadd Dameron. With new members of the Detroit Jazz Orchestra (DJO), a group Walden formed in 1982, he recorded the disc live at Bert’s On Broadway, a tri-level bar in downtown Detroit. Walden selected 10 …

Listening to pianist Kenny Barron’s Classical Jazz Quarter Thursday night at Detroit’s Orchestra Hall, I wondered if he wanted the quartet to resemble the Modern Jazz Quartet, or if the resemblance was mere happenstance. The veteran pianist played a double bill. The first set with the CJQ, and the second with Canta Brasil. The CJQ embodied the characteristics of the Modern Jazz Quartet during their heyday. For example, Barron’s quartet which included Lewis Nash on drums, Rufus Reid on bass, a

Robert McArthur was saxophonist Donald Walden’s special guess Wednesday night at the second concert for the Jazz Forum. But there was nothing particularly special about McArthur’s performance. McArthur a native Detroiter has gigged with Walden before, and is one of his favorite singers. "He sings better than a lot of vocalist in Detroit who are notorious for singing all the wrong notes. He sings with more feeling," Walden said. McArthur has a fluid intonation. However, the feeling that Wa

The reunion of Marcus Belgrave and David "Fathead" Newman was the most anticipated event of the Jazz in the Garden concert series. But according to Belgrave organizing it was a nightmare. Alexander Zonjic, the coordinator of the series, asked Belgrave to participate. The concerts are Thursdays in the atrium of the GM Renaissance Center. Belgrave wanted to reunite with Newman. Both were members of the Ray Charles band. At the SereNgeti Ballroom five years ago they performed together for the first