Jazz News

Grammy Museum at L.A. Live Sets Opening Date

Source: All About Jazz
December 1, 2008

Soon to be added to the nominees for best historical music institution: The Recording Academy has set Dec. 3 as the grand opening for its Grammy Museum in downtown Los Angeles. The museum, part of the L.A. Live complex across the street from the Staples Center, will first host a string of invite-only and fundraising events, and will officially open its doors to the public on Dec. 6.

The opening of the four-floor complex will come one day before the ...

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Jorn Utzon Danish Architect of Sydney Opera House Dies

Source: Michael Ricci
December 1, 2008

Jorn Utzon, in 1957 at age 38, received word at his home in Denmark that he won an international competition to build the opera house, beating out 232 other competitors. The project whose overrun budget and delays sparked controversy was a mixed blessing, giving the architect fame but also heartache.

Utzon, the Danish architect whose eye-catching, nautically inspired design for the Sydney Opera House overcame a series of controversies surrounding its budget and acoustics to become one of the most ...

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Jakjazz Finale Lights up the Jakarta Night

Source: All About Jazz
December 1, 2008

The 10th Jakarta International Jazz Festival ended Sunday with stunning collaborative performances from the world's jazz icons and one conviction: Jakarta has emerged as a melting pot and a mecca of jazz music. Jazz enthusiasts started swarming into the Istora Senayan area at around 5 p.m. to savor the evening performances from local and international acts on the outdoor stages. As on previous days, the rain did not deter the audience from coming. Syaharani and her band, the Queenfirework, heated ...

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Sachin Gupta is Back with His Debut Film Dil Kabaddi

Source: All About Jazz
December 1, 2008

With the release of Dil Kabaddi comes to the fore the prodigious musician Sachin Gupta. At only 27 years of age, he is the in-house music producer for Tips Films and has already become a name to reckon with. Apart from having produced albums for artists such as Apache Indian and Alisha Chinoy, he sky-rocketed singer Atif Aslam's musical career by creating the runaway hit compilation Doorie. So it was no surprise that more artists such as Jal, Ahmad Jehanzedb ...

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There's No Jazz Fueling This 'Cadillac'

Source: All About Jazz
December 1, 2008

Jazz is at the roots of the Chess Records story, a legacy that's silent in “Cadillac Records." Leonard Chess broke into the local music scene in 1949 by opening the Macomba Lounge at 47th and South Karlov. The late-night club attracted jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington, who were headlining earlier in the evening at other Bronzeville venues. “[Jazz pianist] Ahmad Jamal was one of the greatest artists at Chess," says mid-1960s Chess arranger-producer Gene Barge. “Ramsey Lewis did ...

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Ticketmaster Live Nation Battle Void Left by Labels

Source: All About Jazz
December 1, 2008

When Live Nation announced they would be launching their own ticketing initiative, many in the industry thought that would mean the end of Ticketmaster.

Instead, Ticketmaster struck back by buying an interest in Front Line Management, essentially putting them in competition with Live Nation not just for concert ticketing but also for album sales, downloads and merchandising opportunities.

Its a seismic shift, in terms of whats occurring with the retail of tickets. But its far bigger than that. Its going ...

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Ariana Solotoff South Pasadena Teen Wins State Viola Championship

Source: All About Jazz
December 1, 2008

15-year-old Ariana Solotoff won the state viola championship at the prestigious California ASTA (American String Teachers Association) State Solo Competition, junior division (through age 18) at UC Davis.

The competition brought together the finest young strings players from throughout California.

The win entitles her to participate in ASTA's 2009 National Solo Competition, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia next March. Joshua Bell is a past winner of this important national competition.

Solotoff has played violin since she was in ...

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Modded Pianos Delight Indie Audiences Classical Buffs

Source: All About Jazz
December 1, 2008

Ten-year-old Volker Bertelman couldn't afford a synthesizer, so he modified the family piano to sound like a harpsichord by pressing metal tacks into its hammers. Mom was not amused, but she couldn't have known that her little boy would soon make a living doing more or less the same thing.

Bertelman has become an accomplished player of the “prepared" piano a piano that has been modified by any number of hardware additions under the name Hauschka. For a typical piece, ...

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