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Stephen Colbert Picks Jon Batiste as "Late Show" Bandleader
Source:
Michael Ricci
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem's Artistic Director-at Large, Jon Batiste, has been announced as the bandleader for CBS' “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." All of us at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem send congratulations to our Artistic Director at Large Jon Batiste on becoming musical director for the new Stephen Colbert Show. It's so good to know that a musician of such impeccable talent will have a platform like this to bring great music to millions of ...
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The Frank Strazzeri Film
Source:
Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
Thanks to Rifftides reader Marla Kleman for sending an alert to the posting of a film about one of the late pianist Frank Strazzeri’s loveliest albums. Strazzeri died last year at about this time. He was 84. The album was his Woodwinds West with saxophonists Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper and Jack Nimitz, bassist Dave Stone and drummer Paul Kreibich. In the 1993 film Frank talks about his approach to writing for a woodwind chamber ensemble, what it means to play ...
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"Marcus," The Film About Marcus Miller
Source:
Zycopolis
In the documentary film Marcus, Patrick Savey gives us a unique view into this legendary bassist’s world, capturing his New York roots in Jamaica, Queens and following his path as he meets masters of jazz like Larry Graham, Jaco Pastorius, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau and Miles Davis. The film is a fantastic visual and musical journey of the history of this exceptional musician, multi instrumentalist, composer, and producer. Through testimonies and live performances, this film reviews three decades ...
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Virtual Reality Concerts: Music TV Network REVOLT Partners With Jaunt
Source:
HypeBot
Virtual reality is the hyped to be the breakthrough technology of 2015. Now, TV network REVOLT has partnered with hardware and software company Jaunt to bring the VR experience to concerts. REVOLT SVP of sales and partnerships, Mike Roche, announced at SXSW Music a first-in-class music partnership with Jaunt, the company building the hardware and software to make an immersive cinematic VR possible. REVOLT and Jaunt have teamed up to film and release 360-degree, immersive performances at REVOLT Studios in ...
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Former RCA, MTV Execs Near Launch Of CÜR Music Streaming Service
Source:
HypeBot
Yes, yet another streaming music service is nearing launch. Led by former top executives at MTV and RCA, CÜR Music promises a “next generation" and “immersive" music experience. CÜR Media announced today that it has entered into a digital content streaming agreement with MediaNet to licence 22 million tracks from all the major and 80,000 indie labels. Led by MTV founder John A Lack and former RCA Chairman/CEO Bob Jamieson CÜR Music, bills itself as a next generation mobile and web music ...
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New Biopic Documentary On Mary Lou Williams Features Carmen Lundy
Source:
Muse Media
Critically-acclaimed vocalist, songwriter, producer and musician Carmen Lundy will be featured in the upcoming biopic documentary about Jazz Great Mary Lou Williams, The Lady Who Swings The Band, directed by filmmaker Carol Bash which premiered at The Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles February 6th. In addition to speaking on film, Carmen also performs the title track live in the film. Carmen herself has a long history with the music of Mary Lou Williams. In the early eighties, shortly ...
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Chet Baker: Italian Movies
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Italy was an ideal setting for Chet Baker's romantic trumpet in 1959. When he arrived in Europe that year and began touring, Italy's art and passion held a special charm and allure for him. He had been to Rome briefly in 1958, comfortably getting his hooks into fans for cash, meals and narcotics. A second, longer stay seemed like a good move. [Photo above of Chet Baker shortly after his release from prison in Lucca, Italy, in December 1961] Baker's ...
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Super Bowl's Jazzy Halftimes
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Yesterday's Super Bowl was amazing—perhaps the most astonishing finish in NFL history. But the halftime show was a bit of a disappointment. A little too playful and silly for me, and not nearly enough intensity or drama. Which reminded me that in the beginning, the Super Bowl halftime show was a modest jazzy affair. The turning point came in 1993 during a halftime show that would change the event forever. The first Super Bowl halftime in 1967 at the Los ...
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