Results for "AAJ Staff"

Music Degrees, $50,000 and the Military Band

April 7, 2011

I've been checking out some of the recent blogs here at MusicianWages, in particular, How to Actually Make $50,000 a Year and How Do I Get A Job After Music School and felt something really should be said about the military musician, since many of us have music degrees and make over $50,000 a year. First ...

Grammys Cut 31 Categories. Indies Hit Hardest

April 7, 2011

The Recording Academy announced today that The Grammys are reducing award categories from 109 to 78. Hardest hit are indie labels and artists who often benefit from recognition in many of the eliminated categories. The minimum number of entries per category has been upped to 40 from 25. Award categories often won by indies that that ...

Wayne Shorter Quartet - "All Blues" (2003)

April 7, 2011

From the Stacks 2011, Vol. 3: Michel Reis, Pitom, Rhys Chatham, Ken Peplowski, Others

April 7, 2011

by S. Victor Aaron Rhys Chatham: The Man With The Horns. Many, many horns. It might be only the third Stacks so far this year, but it's a much overdue one. There's a whopping seven 2011 releases discussed here, with several other worthy ones being pushed back to a later fourth installment. Two of these albums ...

How to Create a Killer Fan Newsletter

April 7, 2011

If there is one aspect of your online marketing toolbox that you should never, ever neglect, it's your fan newsletter. Even though social networking sites have exploded in popularity, e-mail marketing is still one of the most effective marketing channels around. Having fans' e-mail addresses (and zip codes when possible) gives you access to valuable data that ...

Matthew Shipp's "Art of the Improviser": A Strong Voice Takes Center Stage

April 7, 2011

After a number of years as a key member of David Ware's Quartet, Matthew Shipp has found his own pianistic voice and brings it to the forefront on the new 2-CD set Art of the Improviser (Thirsty Ear 57197). Matthew shows two facets of his playing on this set. The second disk is a live solo ...

Philipp Van Endert Trio "Rosebud"

April 7, 2011

Cinema has long since rendered the word “rosebud" as something elusive and enigmatic that cannot possibly sum up what others want it to. From the moment that Orson Welles whispers the word in the film Citizen Kane, we embark on a mysterious journey of the purely unknowable. But what a journey. Titling his latest recording Rosebud, ...

Jazz Backstage: Harvey Mason (Mulligan/Baker)

April 7, 2011

Drummer Harvey Mason has contributed to a good number of major jazz recordings with Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Donald Byrd, Bob James and many more. His ability to swing hard as well as lay down a funky beat are signatures of his playing but he is also well known for his precision ...

The Traneumentary: Jason Moran (Commentary)

April 7, 2011

Pianist Jason Moran is one of the most exciting musicians in jazz today. Over the years, he has successfully balanced the great jazz tradition with contemporary musical influences creating his own mark and signature on a certain brand of jazz. On the first of two Traneumentary episodes, Jason insightfully walks us through the classic track “Monk's ...

The Warm World of Jack Sheldon

April 6, 2011

One of the finest yet least known albums of the sixties is The Warm World of Jack Sheldon (Dot, 1968), an elegant and groovy piece of lighter-than-air jazz that holds up much better than its title or its time period might suggest. Trumpeter Jack Sheldon was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 30, 1931, and has ...