Jazz News

Mosaic Select: Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabackin Big Band

Source: All About Jazz
October 25, 2008

One Of The Most Exciting & Original Big Bands In Jazz “Greatness is greatness, whether on the East Coast, the West Coast, in Tokyo, or anywhere else in the world. I think you will find it in this magnificently variegated, consistently exciting example of one of outstanding jazz orchestras of our time." --Leonard Feather, original liner notes In 1965, pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi returned to New York after three years in Japan. Soon thereafter, she formed an alliance with saxophonist Lew ...

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Ljova and the Kontraband Release Their Debut CD, "Mnemosyne"

Source: All About Jazz
October 25, 2008

MNEMOSYNE is the debut release of LJOVA AND THE KONTRABAND, a new ensemble project dedicated to original music that washes away distinguishing lines between chamber music, jazz, contemporary global folk music. The ensemble was founded by violist and composer, Lev 'Ljova' Zhurbin, an active collaborator of Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, the Kronos Quartet, composer Osvaldo Golijov, as well as a growing list of independent filmmakers. (Among them, Francis Ford Coppola, who used Ljova's composition “Middle Village” in ...

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Underyourskin Interviews: Will Calhoun and Corey Glover

Source: All About Jazz
October 25, 2008

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Star Keyboardist Merl Saunders Dies

Source: All About Jazz
October 25, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO -- Keyboardist Merl Saunders, the gentle lion of the San Francisco music scene best known as co-captain of guitarist Jerry Garcia's solo excursions outside the Grateful Dead, died Friday at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center after fighting infections. The 74-year-old musician suffered a debilitating stroke 6 1/2 years ago and, although he lost the ability to speak, he made numerous sentimental guest appearances at shows over those years playing with one hand. “I never met anybody so happy who ...

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Michelle Walker Live @ Bar Next Door Monday October 27th 8PM-11PM

Source: All About Jazz
October 25, 2008

Michelle Walker Performs Live @ THE BAR NEXT DOOR MONDAY October 27, 2008

On Monday October 27th, Vocalist Michelle Walker returns to one of her favorite performance rooms, the Bar Next Door for an intimate evening of live jazz vocals.

The Bar Next Door is one of the smaller and most intimate settings for serious jazz in Manhattan...[and]...is a perfect setting to enjoy richly textured music. The Bar Next Door has been home to some ...

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"To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story", Deluxe 3-CD+DVD Box Set

Source: All About Jazz
October 24, 2008

Most Comprehensive and Wide-Ranging Collection of Nina Simone's Music Ever Compiled 51 TRACKS SPANNING 1957-93, FROM BETHLEHEM, COLPIX, PHILIPS, RCA, PM, CTI, AND ELEKTRA RECORD LABELS - INCLUDES 24 LIVE TRACKS AND 8 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS - PLUS 23-MINUTE DVD DOCUMENTARY WITH 9 ADDED PERFORMANCES Ultimate survey of her work - interpreting jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, folk, folk rock, rock, pop, Broadway, movie songs, standards, French chanson, African songs, reggae and protest songs Liner notes by Richard Seidel and NPR's ...

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Boz Scaggs Releases Second Standards Album "Speak Low"

Source: All About Jazz
October 24, 2008

Five years after his first volume of standards, But Beautiful, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz chart, GRAMMY award winning musician Boz Scaggs offers his second volume of standards and ballads, aptly titled Speak Low (out September 30 on vinyl and wide release on October 28th via Decca). The multi-dimensional singer, whose 1976 album Silk Degrees was one of the landmark pop titles of the decade, began working on Speak Low several years ago. He'd settled on most of ...

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Frank Macchia Releases New CD "Saxolollapalooza"

Source: All About Jazz
October 24, 2008

SAXOLOLLAPALOOZA = MASSIVE SAXOPHONES!!

What do you get when you cross six of Los Angeles best jazz saxophonists, the drummer from the legendary band Weather Report and Grammy nominated composer/arranger Frank Macchia? Saxolollapalooza, of course!

The CD features Eric Marienthal, Bob Sheppard, Gene Cipriano, Sal Lozano, Frank Macchia and Jay Mason on saxes and woodwinds, with drummer extraordinaire Peter Erskine supplying the fluid grooves. Macchia arranged and produced the material, which is an eclectic mix of New Orleans second line ...

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