Results for "Melissa Walker"

Melissa Walker

With her rich, multi-octave vocal textures and impeccable phrasing, Melissa Walker has won kudos in concerts across several continents, working with such hallowed talents as Hank Jones, Gary Bartz, and Kenny Barron; young jazz geniuses like Christian McBride, Stefon Harris and Mokoto Ozone; and late greats like Ray Brown. Her three CD releases since 1997 - and well-deserved Canadian Juno award nomination and US Indie honorable mention -- have created a nuanced corpus of jazz standards and new material unrivaled in its reverence for America's jazz tradition. In performance in Manhattan at the Jazz Standard, Birdland, or Iridium; abroad, at the Blue Note or Sweet Basil in Japan or Pizza Express in London; or at Montreux and other jazz fests, Walker has turned heads and excited influential critics to rave about her "winning personality and technical excellence." Melissa's anchored and wide-open musicianship mirrors her dual cultural heritage

Thana Alexa, Sirintip and Owen Broder: Beaming Live Jazz From Their Living Rooms To Yours

By MICHAEL RICCI

All About Jazz was in a unique position to help promote and broadcast the Live From Our Living Rooms Festival & Fundraiser to our readers from April 1-7, 2020 as we presented select performances over the seven days. Similar to the NEA Jazz Masters concert we broadcasted last April, I felt a personal connection to the ...

From C to Shining C

By MARY FOSTER CONKLIN

The broadcast fell after Independence Day but included sparkling new releases from vocalists Rachelle Garniez, Lucy Yeghiazaryan, Isabel Crespo (For Now) and saxophonist Bob Sheppard, with birthday shout outs to Louis Armstrong, organist Rhoda Scott, vocalists Claudia Acuna, Melissa Walker and trombonist Natalie Cressman among others. Playlist Rhoda Scott “From C to Shining C" ...

“Old” School

By H WILLIAM STINE

Old hat; same old same old; you can't teach an old dog new tricks. I don't get it why people are so negative about the word, old. Some of our greatest songwriters have used that word in some of their best songs. And some of our youngest singers are giving new voice to these old songs. ...

Jazz House Kids: The House that Jazz Built

By BOB KENSELAAR

When we think of jazz education, we might first think about what's developed at the college level and at music conservatories over the last fifty years or so, and then maybe consider how jazz instruction and jazz bands have flourished at the high school and middle school levels a little more recently. But beyond these settings, ...

Christian McBride Big Band: Bringin' It

By DAN BILAWSKY

Where and how does Christian McBride find the time to do what he does? His plate is full about nine times over, what with his work as bassist, composer, bandleader, educator, jazz advocate, public speaker, radio personality, DJ, and Artistic Director for the Newport Jazz Festival. It's no wonder that it took him six years to ...

TD Toronto Jazz Festival 2015

By ALAIN LONDES

TD Toronto Jazz Festival Various locations Toronto, Canada June 18-29, 2015 With festival season in full swing, it's always an opportunity to see what the state of jazz is and to hopefully discover something new. The challenge is of course that there are always many choices and one might be guided ...

Nova Jazz Orchestra / Christian McBride Big Band / NYJO

By JACK BOWERS

Nova Contemporary Jazz OrchestraWho Sez You Can't Dance to Bebop?Nova Jazz2010 When last heard from, Minnesota's dauntless Nova Jazz Orchestra was performing alongside the legendary Stan Kenton Orchestra--well, not actually “alongside," but as part of the Tantara label's ongoing two-disc salute to Kenton, Double Feature, Vol. 2. ...

Christian McBride Big Band: The Good Feeling

By DAVID RICKERT

In today's jazz world, with most artists working clubs in small combos, there may be something a little retro about a big band recording. However, there are always musicians that are up for the challenge of arranging and recording for larger groups despite the logistics involved.Enter Christian McBride, one of the most accomplished and ...