Jazz News

Google Crowdsources Carnegie Hall Concert

Source: All About Jazz
December 2, 2008

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Like the old joke says -- practice. Now, Google can get you there too. Sorry -- you'll still need to practice. And audition.

Google is putting together a YouTube Symphony Orchestra that will take to the Carnegie Hall stage in five months to perform.

For the first time together Chinese composer Tan Dun's Internet Symphony No. 1, Eroica. Classical and non-conventional musicians can submit YouTube videos of themselves playing Tan's composition and a ...

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Young Hands In the Center of an Unforgiving Spotlight

Source: Michael Ricci
December 2, 2008

Because the New York Youth Symphony is a student ensemble that draws on musicians ranging in age from 12 to 22, it can be easy to forget, from season to season, just how good it is. But its Carnegie Hall concerts have often been startling.

Its programs are built around repertory cornerstones, which these musicians appear not to find daunting, and each concert includes the premiere of a commissioned work as well. The performance level is almost always what you ...

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Flute and Percussion in a Role Switch

Source: Michael Ricci
December 2, 2008

Some chamber music configurations result from a fortunate mix of sounds or personalities. Others are born of necessity: Messiaen composed his Quartet for the End of Time for the instruments on hand during his internment in a Nazi prison camp.

Either way, a successful piece sparks imitation, leading to both a fresh repertory and new groups to execute it. Those ensembles then compel the creation of more custom-tailored music.

Presumably that explains how the Electrum Duo the relatively unorthodox pairing ...

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What's Opera, Doc?

Source: All About Jazz
December 2, 2008

We here at All About Jazz, in our effort to include those of the finer music crowd, and to show that we Improvisers got good taste too.

We like to share for your holiday pleasure our series following on High Note, the Chuck Jones cartoon with today's selection, What's Opera, Doc. Sit back and enjoy a night at the theater. (please use the video below to view the classic. No pun intended.)

Would those of you in the cheaper seats ...

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New Video Blog: Jazz Video Guy Meets the Saxophone Colossus

Source: All About Jazz
December 2, 2008

"Sonny Rollins Is a Work-in-Progress" is the first entry in a new bi-weekly video blog from the Jazz Video Guy, Bret Primack. Celebrating two new releases by the Saxophone Colossus, “Road Shows, Vol. 1," and “In Vienne," the initial video blog entry features exclusive video of Mr. Rollins and Roy Haynes during the rehearsal for Rollins's celebrated 50th Anniversary Carnegie Hall concert in September 2007.

“My blog provides a backstage pass into the world of Jazz," explains Primack, who has ...

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Alvin Queen & Dean Bowman Interviews

Source: All About Jazz
December 2, 2008

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Westchester Jazz Orchestra to Perform Music of Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter on January 31

Source: All About Jazz
December 2, 2008

Free pre-concert talk with special guest, bassist John Patitucci Westchester, NY -- The Westchester Jazz Orchestra has been called a local orchestra in about the same way as, say, the New York or Berlin Philharmonic Orchestras are local. On Sat., Jan. 31, this world-class big band will perform the music of pianist Chick Corea and saxophonist Wayne Shorter at 8 PM at the Irvington Town Hall Theater, 85 Main Street, Irvington, NY. World-renowned bassist and composer John Patitucci will be ...

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To Quincy Jones, for Showing the Way ...

Source: All About Jazz
December 2, 2008

Harvard Gives Its First Annual Mentor Of The Year Award To A Man Whoes Worked With Everyone From Ray Charles To South Central Gang Members.

On Jan. 25, Harvard University gave its first Mentor of the Year award to musician Quincy Jones, the multi-Grammy-winning producer, arranger and songwriter, who has worked with everyone from Count Basie and Frank Sinatra to Ray Charles and Michael Jackson.

Dr. Jay Winsten, associate dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, which is honoring ...

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