Festival News

NYC 2010 Winter Jazzfest: Part 2 of 3

Source: The Mantle
January 13, 2010

By Matthew Young Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

So this is the Horn of Plenty. It's the first night of the NYC Winter Jazzfest and one thing's for certain: I can't write in the dark. In its sixth year, the festival features a line-up of fifty smartly selected bands performing at five venues in the West Village. Kicking it off at (Le) Poisson Rouge, Darcy James Argue conducted his eighteen piece big band Secret Society. The up-tempo ...

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NYC 2010 Winter Jazzfest: Part 1 of 3

Source: The Mantle
January 13, 2010

By Shaun Randol Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

2010 Winter Jazzfest (now in its sixth year) began promptly (Le) Poisson Rouge with Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, an 18-member ensemble (by my count) directed by the eponymous leader. Argue's direction was precise, if not robotic, but the band sounded confident and emphatic. Argue is certainly an innovative and intelligent composer, a thinking person's kind of tunesmith. Take, for example, his song “Zeno,"based on Zeno's Paradox of Motion ...

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Simon & Garfunkel to Star at First Weekend of New Orleans Jazz Fest

Source: Michael Ricci
January 13, 2010

April 24 Performance To Be the Only 2010 U.S. Appearance by Legendary Duo New Orleans, LA--"We are proud to announce that American music icons Simon & Garfunkel will be making their first-ever appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell," event organizers said today. The Saturday, April 24 performance by Simon & Garfunkel at Jazz Fest will be the only chance to see the legendary duo in the U.S. this year. The Festival is scheduled for ...

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Two Nights, 11 Bands at the NYC Winter Jazzfest (Part 1: Friday)

Source: Lubricity
January 13, 2010

New York City's only jazz festival has come and gone, and I was there.  So were a LOT of other people.  My one-word impression: wow.

For a comprehensive and well-written account of the two-night jazz extravaganza, check out Ben Ratliff's review for the New York Times.  Nate Chinen, Ben Allison, Jacob Teichroew and Hank Shteamer also have some spot-on reflections.

The general theme of those reviews is that the festival was a huge success, attracting not only brilliant music but ...

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Ultra Music Fest Initial Lineup Bisco, PL, Bassnectar, Lotus

Source: JamBase
January 12, 2010

ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR 3/26-27 IN MIAMI

The Disco Biscuits Promoters for the Ultra Music Festival (UMF), the world's leading two-day electronic and alternative music experience, have unveiled initial details of its highly anticipated lineup for the festival's 12th annual installment. Set for Friday, March 26 and Saturday, March 27 in downtown Miami as the official closing event of the 25th Anniversary Winter Music Conference, UMF will be the only place to experience a vast number of exclusive ...

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Jazz Performances Aboard Queen Mary 2

Source: Michael Ricci
January 11, 2010

Cunard Line, operator of the most famous ocean liners in the world, is pleased to announce a partnership with The Juilliard School that will present stellar jazz performances on select 2010 eastbound Transatlantic Crossings aboard Queen Mary 2. Students and faculty from Juilliard, which has set America's standard for education in the performing arts, will perform programmes in the ship's Royal Court Theatre, treating guests to the best in classic and contemporary jazz. These presentations are part of Cunard's entertainment ...

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North Carolina Jazz Festival: February 4-6, 2010 in Wilmington

Source: Michael Ricci
January 11, 2010

Since its inception in 1980, the North Carolina Jazz Festival (a 2010 Southeast Tourism Society Top 20 Event) continues a tradition of bringing world-class jazz musicians to Wilmington, North Carolina. During the weekend of February 4 through 6, 2010, the North Carolina Jazz Festival will celebrate 30 years with concerts by more than a dozen traditional jazz artists who perform in a cabaret-style setting at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside's newly renovated ballroom. Fans can see and hear their favorite traditional ...

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Catching Late-Night Zzzs: Jazz and Buzz

Source: Michael Ricci
January 11, 2010

NYC Winter Jazzfest occupied the center of Greenwich Village on Friday and Saturday nights, holding down five clubs in a two-block radius, imposing its thoughtful ruckus on the normal Bleecker Street weekend: Long Island girls in microminis, corner dope dealers, 40-year-old boys taking in the Jets-Bengals game at a sports bar and then communing with Skynyrd covers over at the Back Fence. Now in its sixth year, the festival served several ends. It showed off 55 bands for the attendees ...

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