Home » Jazz News
TV / Film News
Timely announcements covering new album releases, tours, concert series, special events, job postings, crowdfunding campaigns and more. You can find more news by searching our website, viewing our news stream, seeing what's trending or reading our blog posts. Subscribe to our news RSS feed and/or embed AAJ news content on your website or blog. Learn about our news service here. Submit news here.
Djerassi Films Presents 'Resurrection! Airto Moreira And Preservation Hall Jazz Band'
Source:
Press Junkie PR
With an upcoming premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival Djerassi Films is excited to present Resurrection! Airto Moreira and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. In this new documentary, producer/director Dale Djerassi brings two powerful forces in the world of jazz together and takes us behind the scenes as famed percussionist Airto Moreira joins the Preservation Hall Jazz Band during Mardi Gras in the Big Easy. Airto Moreira is a world-renowned jazz drummer and percussionist from Brazil, who exhibited great talent ...
Continue Reading
Doc: British Jazz Scene (Part 2)
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
On Monday, my post featured Part 1 of a two-part BBC Jazz Britannia documentary on the post-war history of British jazz. Today, Part 2 (Strange Brew), starting where Part 1 left off—with pianist Stan Tracey's seminal album Jazz Suite, Inspired by Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood, released in 1965. In case you missed Part 1, I'm including both parts here: Here's Part 1 (Stranger on the Shore), from 1945 to 1965... And here's Part 2 (Strange Brew), from 1965 and ...
Continue Reading
Doc: The British Jazz Scene
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Earlier this month, a documentary went up at YouTube produced by the BBC as part of its Jazz Britannia series. The documentary tracks the rise of post-war British jazz and helps explain why traditional jazz lingered so long there in the 1950s, how skiffle emerged, why American jazz musicians didn't tour in the U.K. until the 1960s, the emergence of free jazz there at the same time as Ornette Coleman's music here, and the album that helped identify a distinctly ...
Continue Reading
Documentary: Stan Tracey
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Little-known in America but a jazz force in the U.K., Stan Tracey was a British pianist who was highly influenced by Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. Tracey's keyboard attack was stormy, percussive and deeply felt, but he also could play straight-ahead jazz and worked and recorded with Ted Heath for years. He also was the house pianist at Ronnie Scott's behind touring artists. Perhaps his most important albums are Jazz Suite Inspired by Dylan Thomas's “Under Milk Wood" (1965) and ...
Continue Reading
Documentary: Tal Farlow
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Self-taught, guitarist Tal Farlow was what's known as a big player. Influenced by Bud Powell, he could cover a great deal of ground on the neck of his electric guitar with his large hands. When he began recording as a leader in April 1954 for Blue Note, he had already been recording as a sideman for nine years. Two of those years were spent as a member of the Red Norvo Trio, with Norvo on vibes and Charles Mingus on ...
Continue Reading
Beverly Kenney: Vocalist in Distress
Source:
JazzWax by Marc Myers
Beverly Kenney recorded seven albums between 1955 to 1959. She had a singing voice that was a cross between Blossom Dearie and Marilyn Monroe, but her approach on songs was courageous, taking risks on melodies that made her interesting to hear. What wasn't evident from her publicity photos—showing a poised, attractive and seemingly upbeat woman—was her depression. Kenney suffered terribly at a time when medications for mental illness were barely effective or were powerfully strong. Those who suffered often were ...
Continue Reading
