Articles by John Wesley Reed Jr.
Jimmy Greene: Beautiful Life
by John Wesley Reed Jr.
“Love Wins," says Jimmy Greene, Saxophonist, Newtown, Connecticut. Inspired by his daughter, Ana, Beautiful Life is emotionally fulfilling towards remembrance of all things for the love of Ana. The children's choir made up of Ana's and her brother, Isaiah's friends from when the family lived in Canada, exemplifies the spirit of joy in which Ana lived. Isaiah, Nelba, her mother, and Jimmy hold a candlelight in their hearts for Ana and the children killed in the ...
read moreCarleen Anderson: At Home in London
by John Wesley Reed Jr.
One of the most powerful vocalists today is Carleen Anderson, the “2013 Jazz FM UK Vocalist of the Year." Amy Winehouse once said, “For live performances, you absolutely have to see Carleen Anderson at least three times in your life!" Amy confessed while sitting in on one of Ms. Anderson's soundchecks; Carleen sang “Don't Look Back In Anger," it brought her to tears (Amy Winehouse: One Shining Night, 2006). Born in jny: Houston, Texas on May 10, 1957, ...
read moreSnarky Puppy and Lalah Hathaway at Jefferson Center
by John Wesley Reed Jr.
Snarky Puppy with Lilah Hathaway Jefferson Center Shaftman Hall Roanoke, VA March 8, 2013 Lalah Hathaway gave an exclusive master class type performance in vocalese exercises in a featured track from the latest release on funk-soul act Snarky Puppy, Family Dinner (Ropeadope 2013). Family Dinner was recorded on March 8, 2013 at Jefferson Center's Shaftman Hall in Roanoke, VA, where the band performed a premier recording concert before 100 invited guests.
read moreThe Power of Jazz
by John Wesley Reed Jr.
"Jazz has the power to make men forget their differences and come together...Jazz is the personification of transforming overwhelmingly negative circumstances into freedom, friendship, hope, and dignity." Spoken by Quincy Jones at the First International Jazz Day in 2012 at the United Nations. The soul of Jazz is expressed in the life of its humblest most gifted people. Musicians find expressions humility, courage, and deep heritage, from the past to its vast promise for the future.
read moreDr. Basil Peter Toutorsky, Classical Composer & Pianist
by John Wesley Reed Jr.
The Toutorsky Mansion is a five-story, 18-room house located at 1720 16th Street, NW in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. As of 2012, it is the location of the embassy of the Republic of the Congo. The 12,000-square-foot (1,100 m2) mansion was completed in 1894 for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Henry Billings Brown, who paid $25,000 in 1891 to buy the land from the Riggs family, and spent $40,000 on its construction. The house ...
read moreIn Memoriam: Dr. Yusef Abdul Lateef
by John Wesley Reed Jr.
Yusef Lateef defined music far from Western concepts while presenting cross-cultural fusions. His life was committed as a premier jazz saxophonist, flutist, and many woodwinds entering crossing musical boundaries. This journey ended on Monday, December 23, 2013 at his home in Shutesbury, Amherst, Massachusetts. Dr. Lateef was 93 years old. Dr. Lateef's distinctive sound came from a tenor saxophone, mystified with a big tone with blues indications. His style separated similar saxophonists during the 1940s. Playing in the ...
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