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Something Else! Interview: Allen Toussaint, Hall of Fame Singer-Songwriter and Producer
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Something Else!
Allen Toussaint, fonky-fonky pianist, writer and producer of untold hit songs, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and first-chair favorite son, makes his annual appearance this week at the 2012 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival – a tradition, he says, “which I dearly, dearly love.” Then, he plans to resume a completely revitalized solo recording career alongside Joe Henry, who oversaw Toussaint’s swinging triumph Bright Mississippi a couple of years ago. In a career dating back to the 1950s, ...
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Interview: Van Alexander (Part 2)
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
As noted yesterday, Van Alexander, 97, arranged Ella Fitzgerald's A-Tisket A-Tasket, recorded by Fitzgerald with Chick Webb's orchestra on May 2, 1938. Though the song may seem a bit of a novelty number now, the single was a runaway hit in late June 1938. By the then, the country was growing increasingly worried: Germany had invaded Austria on March 12 and Japan had invaded China on June 17. Fitzgerald's song hit No. 1 on June 25 and remained there for ...
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Greece-based Saxophonist Nikos Koulouris Links Creative Development To Personal Growth
Source:
Lauren Rogers
To saxophonist Nikos Koulouris, his creative development is embedded with his personal growth; they reached maturity together. “My evolution as an artist is closely connected to my evolution as a human being. Realizing through the years who I really was and who I wanted to become helped me express myself musically,” Koulouris explained. “Accepting myself, my capabilities, my limitations, my desires, and my dreams gave me a sense of balance and inner peace that helped me free myself musically.” It’s ...
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Interview: Van Alexander (Part 1)
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Today is Van Alexander's birthday (Happy Birthday Van!). He's 97 years old. Van is probably best known for arranging Ella Fitzgerald's career-launching hit A-Tisket, A-Tasket, which she recorded with Chick Webb's band in 1938—on this very day, in fact, 74 years ago. Van wrote the words, including her interchange with the band, and Ella tweaked them in places to make it hip. Van also is the last surviving member of the Chick Webb band and a direct link back to ...
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Sacha Distel: Guitarist-Singer
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
French and Belgian jazz musicians from the 1950s aren't given nearly as much credit in the U.S. as they deserve. The same is true for British jazz musicians. Ask most Americans to name their favorite European jazz artists from the period and they'll likely run dry after a handful—usually Toots Thielemans, Tubby Hayes, Bobby Jaspar, Martial Solal and maybe René Urtreger. There were plenty more greats, of course, including guitarist Sacha Distel. Like Nat King Cole, Distel today is best ...
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Artie Shaw: The Money Band
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
In 1949, Artie Shaw needed money. He would later claim the cash infusion was sought to help settle back taxes owed. But alimony payments to novelist Kathleen Winsor, whom he had just divorced, were certainly a financial drain. Just a year earlier, Shaw had vowed never again to front a dance band, carping about having to play Stardust night after night. And yet in August 1949, for a number of pragmatic reason, Shaw assembled one of the finest orchestras of ...
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A Conversation with NEA Jazz Master David Baker
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The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
David Baker on the cello, which became his second instrument after an accident ended his trombone days. When friend and Jazz Education Network board colleague (and fine keyboardist in her own right) Monika Herzig—a proud Indiana University grad and student of National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master David Baker—asked me to contribute a chapter to the book she was editing on David’s rich career and life, I was honored. That ask also took me back to when I first ...
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Dave Kusek on Exiting Berklee, Digital Cowboys and What's Next [interview]
![Dave Kusek on Exiting Berklee, Digital Cowboys and What's Next [interview]](https://s3.amazonaws.com/allaboutjazz/photos/logo/hypebotlogo2015.jpg){kind=logo}
Source:
HypeBot
After 14 successful years, Dave Kusek is stepping down as VP at Berklee College Of Music to pursue business consulting and angel investing in digital music and media. We caught up with Kusek, who also co-authored the iconic “Future Of Music" to learn his plans. HYPEBOT: You've had a very successful run at Berklee, founding it's online school and more. Why leave now? DAVE KUSEK: I have been thinking about moving onto the next stage in my career for a ...
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