Music Industry News

Jazz This Week: The Cunninghams, Tony Desare, "Bag and Beyond," and More

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
September 12, 2008

It's a week of homecomings for St. Louis jazz, as performers from both the Gaslight Square era of the early 1960s and the experimental period of the late 1960s return to local venues.The Gaslight Square veteran is singer/percussionist/multi-instrumentalist Don Cunningham, who now lives in Las Vegas and works with his wife Alicia, a singer and pianist, as The Cunninghams. They'll be at the Sheldon Concert Hall this evening with an act that's a mix of cleverly arranged jazz ...

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Senate Panel to Take Up Controversial Copyright Bill

Source: PC Magazine
September 11, 2008

A Senate committee on Thursday is scheduled to take up a controversial copyright bill that would allow the Department of Justice to bring civil complaints against copyright infringers and allow for greater enforcement within the federal government. The Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008 was introduced in July by Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont. It would allow DOJ, which is currently only allowed to bring criminal charges against copyright infringers, to file civil cases against alleged offenders. ...

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Vic Chesnutt and Elf Power

Source: JamBase
September 11, 2008

Legendary songwriter Vic Chesnutt teams with Elephant 6 psychsters Elf Power

Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power A tuneful collision of Athens institutions finds fruition this fall when Orange Twin releases Vic Chesnutt's collaboration with Elephant 6 psychsters Elf Power, Dark Developments on October 28. As intriguing as this combination may seem for hardcore fans of either act, the final sonic results reveal a daunting sum much greater than even the involvement of such esteemed parts would imply. The Elves' ...

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Jazz Quotes: Miles Davis

Source: Night Lights Classic Jazz
September 11, 2008

Miles Davis, in addition to being one of the most talented and distinctive musicians to grace the annals of jazz history, had a unique reputation when it came to his speaking voice--both for his hoarse whisper and his pithy, rather Zen-like way of communicating with his band members, which sometimes resulted in amusing exchanges, such as his retort to John Coltrane's lament that he couldn't stop soloing: “Try taking the saxophone out of your mouth." While working on an upcoming ...

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Bill Meredith Joins "Hot House Florida" Staff

Source: All About Jazz
September 10, 2008

Bill Meredith has covered jazz, blues and popular music in South Florida for nearly 25 years in publications from the Palm Beach Post and City Link to Jam and Rag magazines. He's been a drummer/percussionist for the same time frame, playing with popular area acts like InHouse, the Hellhounds, Fran Snyder, Big Brass Bed and Black Finger. Meredith's ongoing local music column in the Palm Beach Post started in 2001, and he also writes feature stories, Q&As and reviews for ...

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Other Places: Keepnews and Wall Street

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
September 10, 2008

Those unfamiliar with The Wall Street Journal, might be surprised to learn of its cultural component. The newspaper's Personal Journal section has frequent profiles, reviews and backgrounders involving painting, sculpture, architecture, literature, dance--the whole range of cultural interests. The most recent piece of particular interest to jazz listeners is Tom Nolan's update on Orrin Keepnews, the 85-year-old co-founder of Riverside Records and indefatigable producer of reissues of a wide range of recordings, including many of his own productions. From the ...

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With a New Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center Sets New Goals

Source: Michael Ricci
September 8, 2008

In 2006 Jazz at Lincoln Center turned to Adrian Ellis for help. The organization had been struggling under the weight of its explosive growth since moving into a new $131 million home in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle in 2004. It had tripled its budget and taken on three stages, where before it didn’t have even one. Mr. Ellis, a management consultant who has specialized in advising nonprofit cultural institutions, said it was like giving the organization a ...

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Lester Young: Compatible Quotes and a Movie

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
September 8, 2008

Rifftides postings have been seldom lately because I'm working on a magazine piece about the resuscitation of Lester Young's tenor saxophone and the consequent revival of a band devoted to his music. More about that later. In the meantime, here's a set of thoughts from and about Prez.

Well, the way I play, I try not to be a 'repeater pencil', ya dig? Originality's the thing.   You can have tone and technique and a lot of other things but without ...

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