Jazz News

Shemekia Copeland to Perform in Blue Bell on April 2

Source: Chris M. Slawecki
March 20, 2011

Shemekia Copeland to Perform in Blue Bell: Touring in Support of the New Alligator Records best-of CD Deluxe Edition “Copeland delivers a gutsy collection of bluesy tunes steeped in Memphis soul and Muscle Shoals. She is a singer with fervor and funk, power, chops and range."—USA Today Grammy-nominated and Harlem-bred vocalist Shemekia Copeland will perform at Montgomery County Community College's Science Center Theater in Blue Bell on Saturday April 2, 2011. Copeland's powerhouse music has garnered her praise from mainstream ...

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Gene Ludwig: "Love Notes Of Cole Porter"

Source: Chris M. Slawecki
March 20, 2011

As one of the early adopters of the Hammond organ in jazz after Jimmy Smith revolutionized the instrument in the late 1950s, Gene Ludwig enjoyed the massive popularity of organ-based soul jazz during the 1960s. In those days, “organ rooms" popped up all along the East coast and Midwest, especially in the inner working-class cities like Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Newark, and Gene's stomping grounds of Pittsburgh. Gene worked them all, bringing his swinging style to audiences far and wide. His ...

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Smithsonian Marks 10th Anniversary of Jazz Appreciation Month

Source: Chris M. Slawecki
March 20, 2011

Smithsonian Marks 10th Anniversary of Jazz Appreciation Month: Focuses on Women's Contributions to America's Music

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History will mark the 10th annual Jazz Appreciation Month in April with a monthlong celebration of jazz featuring performances, talks, tours and family-oriented events. This year's 10th anniversary programming will examine the legacies of women in jazz and will kick off with a special donation ceremony related to the nation's first, integrated, female big band, the International Sweethearts of ...

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Vibraphonist Jim Hart Interviewed at All About Jazz

Source: All About Jazz
March 23, 2011

Jim Hart is one of the hottest young musicians on the U.K. jazz scene. His impressive skills are matched by a level of experience and maturity that belie his age. His musicianship elicited this praise from vibes heavyweight Joe Locke: “Some of the best music I've heard in a long time. Definitely the best vibes playing I've heard in a long time." An alumnus of Chetham's School of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, he was awarded ...

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Ex-e.s.t. Drummer Magnus Ostrom Interviewed at All About Jazz...And More!

Source: All About Jazz
March 22, 2011

As the drummer with the Esbjörn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.) Magnus Öström became one of the most successful European jazz musicians of the last twenty years. Influenced by a range of musics, his percussion style was a key element of the band's distinctive sound, while the Trio's success over the 15 years of its existence brought it international fame and brought Öström to the attention of a world-wide audience. After Svensson's death in a diving accident in June 2008 both Öström ...

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Thousands Escape Stress, Get Creative at NewAgePianoLessons.com

Source: Edward Weiss
March 20, 2011

Stress ... it affects us all. But it doesn't have to put a damper on your creativity. At least that's according to pianist/composer Edward Weiss. Weiss is also the webmaster and creator of NewAgePianoLessons.com—a website that teaches beginning adults how to play piano in the New Age style. New Age music was extremely popular in the mid 1980's and is making a big comeback now. When asked why this may be so, Weiss comments: “I think people always used music ...

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Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim Interviewed at All About Jazz

Source: All About Jazz
March 21, 2011

For legendary pianist/composer Abdullah Ibrahim, music is always in a state of evolution. This philosophy is common to nearly all great composers, from [pianist] Duke Ellington to [trumpeter] Miles Davis and from [saxophonist] John Coltrane and [pianist] Ahmad Jamal to [guitarist] Bill Frisell. A piece of music is born, it grows and gradually matures but it never withers. And, like the Lesotho mountains, which, in part, inspired Ibrahim to revisit compositions—some of which he penned a quarter of a century ...

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Jazz Song for Japan by Martin Taylor

Source: James Taylor
March 20, 2011

The massive earthquake and resulting tsunami that struck Japan on March 11th has caused widespread destruction and suffering, relayed on television screens around the world. Jazz guitarist Martin Taylor regularly tours Japan and is due to play in Tokyo on the 4th and 5th April with fellow guitarist Ulf Wakenius.

In order to help raise money for the people of Japan Martin has recorded a tune called “One Day" and is making it available for download. The download is only ...

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