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One Of Hawaii's Finest Jazz Artists: Jr Volcano Choy
Source:
Eric Taylor
Q: I'm sure you receive this question numerous times. Your name - where did you get it? A: Almost 30 years ago, I was on a road tour for Columbia Records. After one of our performances, a music critic who was present mentioned that the “trumpet soloist” blew like an “erupting volcano” and so the other musicians on that tour jumped on it and began calling me “Volcano." At first I discouraged them from addressing me as “Volcano,” but they ...
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Bill Evans and Carol Stevens
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Back in January 2014, I interviewed singer Carol Stevens (here and here), who recorded That Satin Doll for Atlantic in 1957. In 1959, she appeared in a TV pilot for a show called After Hours, featuring Coleman Hawkins and Roy Eldridge among other top New York jazz musicians. At one point during my interview, I asked Carol who else she performed with in New York: “Many different pianists. I did several gigs with Bill Evans before he became really well ...
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Interview: Multi-Instrumentalist Paul Stafford
Source:
Eric Taylor
Q: You received your first drum kit at the age of five. Did your family already know you had an interest in music? A: I would say yes. The drum kit was purchased based on the constant beating on shoe boxes. My mindset was drumming as one would do in a school marching band. Although not being my main instrument, it definitely played an important part of my younger years as a multi-instrumentalist on stage in my brother's band. Q: ...
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Why Lesley Gore Mattered
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Lesley Gore, who died on February 16 of lung cancer at age 68, was best known for her hit, It's My Party, which went to #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and R&B charts in 1963. But the teen singer stood for much more than adolescent anguish and the right to bawl at one's own bash. Gore was 16 when she recorded It's My Party, her first hit about a “friend" named Judy who ran off with her Johnny at a ...
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Interview: Saxophonist/Composer Tivon Pennicott
Source:
Eric Taylor
Having played on two Grammy-winning albums, it was just a matter of time for saxophonist/composer Tivon Pennicott to explore his own artistry. With his band Sound Quartet, Pennicott has just released Lover of Nature, an album of sleek, sprightly jazz compositions that boldly showcases a brilliant new talent. In this interview, Pennicott discusses his musical origins and creative passions. Q: When did you learn to play the saxophone? A: I started playing saxophone at the age of 12. My dad ...
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Exclusive: Bill Evans Interview
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
A few weeks ago I received an email from two ardent Bill Evans fans. James Farber and Larry Goldbert wrote to say they had interviewed Evans back in 1976 for a radio station in Madison, Wis., and asked if I wanted to hear it. I said I'd be happy to and, if I loved it and the sound was clean, I'd be most interesting in hosting the clip and sharing their story at JazzWax. James and Larry are big JazzWax ...
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Interview: Jamie Cullum
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
I love writing the “Track Record" column for Wall Street Journal/Europe, which is based in London. The point of the column is to interview artists to see what obscure albums most influenced them. There are always surprises, and I'm constantly being turned on to music that escaped my radar. Case in point is my interview with jazz singer-songwriter and pianist Jamie Cullum in today's “Off Duty" section of the Europe edition (go here). My challenge to Cullum was tell me ...
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Ticketfly VP Kristina Wallander On What Google Search Changes Mean For Live Concerts
Source:
HypeBot
Yesterday, Google announced changes that could help artist and promoters at every level to sell more concert tickets. From now on, a Google Search for an artist or venue will highlight show and ticketing info drawn directly from Ticketfly, Ticketmaster, AXS and other major ticketers. To find out how this might effect the concert business and ticket sales, we turned to Kristina Wallander, VP of Marketing at Ticketfly. Q: What have Ticketfly's own studies shown regarding unsold inventory? Kristina Wallander: Ticketfly’s partners see ...
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