Music Industry News

Bag II to Cease Operations at End of 2008

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
September 17, 2008

BAG II, which attempted to revive the spirit of St. Louis' storied Black Artists Group, will be ceasing operations at the end of 2008. Here's the announcement sent out by Zimbabwe Nkenya, bassist/composer and one of the prime movers of BAG II:“Thank you for your support for and interest in “the new" BAG II. For the past year and a half we have offered free public events at Scott Joplin House State Historic Site featuring some of ...

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Gov't Mule New Bassist Band Welcomes Jorgen Carlsson

Source: JamBase
September 16, 2008

GOV'T MULE WELCOMES NEW BASS PLAYER New Bassist Jorgen Carlsson To Debut on Fall Tour

Gov't Mule Balancing evocative songs and expressive improvisation, Gov't Mule is a band rooted in both the personal and musical chemistry between its members. “It's not one of those groups that can make a change overnight," explains founding guitarist/vocalist Warren Haynes. It is only after six months of rehearsing, jamming, and hanging out with bassist Jorgen Carlsson that he has been added to ...

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Compatible Quotes: Sonny Rollins

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
September 16, 2008

I think as long as people can hear a record and hear people like Lester Young on a recording, there will always be a great inspiration for somebody to try to create jazz. - Sonny Rollins

No one is original. Everyone is derivative. -- Sonny Rollins

There was a period which I refer to as the 'Golden Age of Jazz,' which sort of encompasses the middle thirties through the sixties, we had a lot of great innovators, all creating ...

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WSP Tunes for Tots

Source: JamBase
September 16, 2008

WIDESPREAD PANIC ANNOUNCES TUNES FOR TOTS 2008 Tabernacle, Atlanta GA October 19

Widespread Panic Over the past three years, Tunes for Tots has raised over $375,000 for Georgia Public School music programs. With the proceeds from 2007's event, Rothschild Middle School not only received instruments for their orchestra but also a 27 station music computer lab with the latest version of Music Maker Finale on them. Musical instrument equipment is very expensive and many more schools are under-funded ...

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Public Service: Locating Wayne Escoffery's Missing Horn

Source: All About Jazz
September 15, 2008

A request from musician Wayne Escoffery:

Hi all, I hope you are all well. I unfortunately am not feeling so hot. On Thursday Sept. 11, 2008 myself (jazz saxophonist Wayne Escoffery) and my wife (singer Carolyn Leonhart) jumped out of a white Lincoln livery cab in mid-town while carrying our two month old son (Vaughn) and accidentally left my saxophone in the trunk. I very much want it back and am offering a big reward. The saxophone is my prime ...

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Banging on a Drum as a Way of Life

Source: Michael Ricci
September 14, 2008

THERE are those who say you can’t re-create the past. Then there are those who attend Richard Reiter’s drum circles.

Percussive Richard Reiter, 61, of Cedar Grove, has been hoisting his collection of 60 djembe and other African drums to locations across New Jersey since 2000. The participants vary, too: when he is not drumming in one of his regular spots, including the Outpost in the Burbs in Montclair, Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck or Rest Stop Rejuvenate in Rockaway, ...

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Dana Gioia Announces His Future Plans

Source: All About Jazz
September 14, 2008

National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia announced today that he will leave his position at the head of the Arts Endowment in January 2009. He will return to writing, his primary occupation prior to leading the Arts Endowment. He will also join the Aspen Institute on a half-time basis as the first Director of the Harman/Eisner (H/E) Program in the Arts. Dana Gioia began his term in February 2003, becoming the NEA's ninth chairman. In December 2006 he ...

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Other Places: Benny Golson at Length

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
September 13, 2008

On Jazz Wax, Marc Myers's marathon interview with tenor saxophonist, arranger and composer Benny Golson (pictured) started running on September 8 and winds up today. If you are put off by transcribed verbatim interviews, never fear. Myers edits with care, provides appropriate web links and illustrates his pieces lavishly, sometimes to a fault (Golson says -- tongue in cheek, I hope-- “As the future crouches beneath my window waiting unashamedly to reveal itself..." and Myers shows you a dreamscape of ...

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