Music Industry News

Playing in the Pits

Source: All About Jazz
June 15, 2010

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to play in the orchestra pit for a West End musical?

Christopher Fish, the cellist who plays in Oliver, has been playing in West End shows for nine years. He's played in 6 shows back to back. You'll find his name on the CDs of the cast recordings of My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins, The Witches of Eastwick and, of course, Oliver. When I got in touch with Chris to ask ...

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Tonys Celebrate Commerce, Not Art

Source: Michael Ricci
June 15, 2010

In Tony Awards voters' eyes, box-office potential and Hollywood celebrity trump quality and innovation.

Awards should be aspirational, validating excellence and originality even though each and every one of us knows that commercialism rules the day. But far be it from the ever-insecure Tony's the geeky glee club representative of the major entertainment awards to bite the hand that feeds it. For the third year in a row the best musical award went not to the work that deserved it ...

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Jazz Venue Chronicles -- Part One

Source: The Independent Ear by Willard Jenkins
June 14, 2010

Following on the heels of our recently concluded series Ain't But a Few, conversations with African American jazz and music writers, we begin a series of conversations with African American and other black folks who have presented jazz music on their stages. Historically, as my current research project on jazz venues in Brooklyn courtesy of the Weeksville Heritage Society clearly indicates, as well as anecdotal evidence from Lost Jazz Shrines across the country, there have been many examples of African ...

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"Playing the Room"

Source: Groove Notes
June 12, 2010

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A Lament for the Blues in Their Backyard

Source: Michael Ricci
June 11, 2010

Buddy Guy said he was worried about the blues. He worried even as he oversaw the finishing touches on the new location of his club, Buddy Guys Legends, which is part musical venue, part museum.

He is worried that his club cannot provide enough exposure for all the musical talent that comes through Chicago, and worried that young people are not exposed to the music he has loved all his life. He is worried, in short, that the city's long, ...

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The Death of Jazz: Greatly Exaggerated

Source: Michael Ricci
June 11, 2010

With His New Undead Jazz Fest, Brice Rosenbloom Makes It Plain That the Historic Genre Is Still Taking Vital Breaths In a city known for the world's greatest summer jazz festivals, few entrepreneurs launch a new one without sounding a little bit nervous. So Brice Rosenbloom's confidence is novel. As the moving force behind the Undead Jazzfest, which debuts this weekend at venues in and around Bleecker Street, the promoter has a track record. And a clear agenda. “The one ...

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So Texting is Out...But What About Jazz and Driving?

Source: Groove Notes
June 11, 2010

Beginning today in Washington state, using a cell phone while driving becomes a primary offense, and if caught, you can receive a ticket for $124.

I have read and heard a variety of reasons as to why using a phone on the road is a bad idea. The most glaring might be the comparison of texting while driving safety-wise being the equivalent to having a blood alcohol content somewhere between a .08 and a .13.

This lead me to wonder ...

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A2IM Hosts NYC Indie Week, Celebrates 5th Anniv.

Source: HypeBot
June 9, 2010

Keynote From Pandora's Tim Westergren

Indie label trade organization A2IM is celebrating its5thanniversary year and hosting Indie Week in NYC from June 16 - 18th. This week long event will feature conferences, panels, meetings and sponsored events circling the main theme of how labels can adapt to the evolving music market place.

Starting Wednesday, the A2IM Tech Day and Licensing Day will take over The Recording Academy's offices in New York City. Then on Thursday, there will be a 3-hourIndependent ...

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