Jazz News

Spread the Holiday Joy Send a Song to Soldiers over Seas

Source: All About Jazz
December 24, 2008

Courtesy of Billboard and the U.S. Army, give the gift of free music to a soldier this holiday season.

Give the gift of free music to a Soldier in the U.S. Army this holiday season, completely free of charge.

Billboard's got the free tunes. You have the message. Just fill out the simple form below, and we will send your message and a unique PIN Code for two free music downloads to a currently enlisted Soldier.

PROGRAM RUNS THROUGH DECEMBER ...

Continue Reading

How Norad Tracks Santa

Source: All About Jazz
December 24, 2008

Santa Claus may be able to fly around the world in a sleigh, but even he can't cross North American airspace without NORAD knowing about it.

For more than 50 years, the joint American-Canadian air command that safeguards the continent against aerial attack has used its sophisticated tracking technology to follow Kris Kringle's journey and provide real-time updates on his location to children worldwide. The North American Aerospace Defense Command gave us a rundown of how it does the job. ...

Continue Reading

Hanukkah Receives Kosher Pop New York Welcome

Source: Michael Ricci
December 24, 2008

Matisyahu, the kosher-pop singer, welcomes Hanukkah with his Festival of Lights series, which continues this week and next at Webster Hall in the East Village and the Music Hall of Williamsburg, in Brooklyn. Matisyahu deployed what may be the only large, mirrored, rotating dreidel in show business — a Jewish answer to a disco ball — at Webster Hall on Sunday night, the first night of Hanukkah. It was also the first of eight New York City shows for Matisyahu ...

Continue Reading

Rockers to Press Obama on Music Torture

Source: All About Jazz
December 24, 2008

Reprieve, a British human rights law group that represents over 30 Guantanamo Bay detainees, is planning to work with musicians to lobby President-elect Barack Obama to end the practice of sonic torture by military interrogators.

Earlier this month, Reprieve and the U.K. Musicians Union launched Zero dB, a “silent protest" over the use of music in interrogations. According to Reprieve, many of its clients have been subjected to hours of music played at deafening volume -- sometime for days or ...

Continue Reading

Musicians and Movie Stars Will Turn out for Obama's Inauguration

Source: Michael Ricci
December 24, 2008

Other presidents have come into office concerned about the arms race. This one, the economy. But when you're planning the parties that celebrate a new president's inauguration, the real issue on your mind is the battle of the bands. Right now, anyone who can turn on a microphone or knows somebody who plays an instrument probably could get a gig in Washington the week of Jan. 18. Simply put: The laws of supply and demand seem to apply to musical ...

Continue Reading

Update: Screen Actors Guild Delays Strike Vote

Source: Michael Ricci
December 24, 2008

The union, which has been rocked by internal dissent, will convene a special meeting of its national board to discuss the matter.

Rocked by growing internal dissent that is splintering Hollywood's largest union, the Screen Actors Guild has postponed plans for a controversial strike authorization vote until after the union's national board meets to discuss the matter. The union's 120,000 members were poised to vote on the planned strike referendum next month, with ballots going out Jan. 2. But in ...

Continue Reading

Franklin, Bennett, Kings of Leon Join Jazz Fest Lineup

Source: All About Jazz
December 24, 2008

Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Jakob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Spoon, Buddy Guy and Kings of Leon join the 40th anniversary of New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

Common doesn't commonly share a bill with Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Jakob Dylan, Joe Cocker, Spoon, Buddy Guy and Kings of Leon, but that's how music rolls at the proudly eclectic New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, marking its 40th anniversary April 24-26 and April 30-May 3.

Three years after the devastation of Hurricane ...

Continue Reading

Richard Bliwas Performs on Paula's Party

Source: All About Jazz
December 24, 2008

Continue Reading