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Monday, February 08, 2010

Jazzofonik in Jazz Times: A Selection

A selection of my reviews and features for the US magazine, Jazz Times, Big up to former editor Chris Porter, who set it all in motion

Jazz Reviews: RocksteadyMonty Alexander/Ernest Ranglin — By ...

JazzTimes. Monty_alexander-rocksteady_span3 ... Michael Edwards; The Jim Seeley/Arturo O'Farrill Quintet The Jim Seeley/Arturo O'Farrill Quintet ... Michael Edwards; Another Kind of Blue: The Latin Side of Miles Davis Conrad Herwig ...
jazztimes.com/.../14838-rocksteady-monty-alexander-ernest-ranglin - Cached -

Jazz Reviews: The PassageAndy Narell and Calypsociation — By ...
Michael Edwards; The Jim Seeley/Arturo O'Farrill Quintet ...
jazztimes.com/articles/14755-the-passage-andy-narell-and-calypsociation

Jazz Articles: Ethiopiques Series: Nubian Sunrise — By Michael ...
Michael Edwards; The Jim Seeley/Arturo O'Farrill Quintet ...
jazztimes.com/articles/14818-ethiopiques-series-nubian-sunrise

Michael A. Edwards @ All About Jazz
Michael A. Edwards Joined AAJ in 2004. Contact Me. A Jamaican features writer, reviewer and passionate jazz advocate. Although jazz was always part of my ...
www.allaboutjazz.com/php/contrib.php?id=1929 - Cached -


go to www.jazztimes.com for more

BERKLEE GOES 'GLOBAL'

Braintree —
Berklee College of Music has announced that a Braintree student, Paulo Stagnaro, was chosen as an inaugural member for the Berklee Global Jazz Institute (BGJI), a unique center at the college designed to foster creativity and musicianship through various musical disciplines. World-renowned pianist Danilo Perez serves as its artistic director.

Students may pursue a performance degree, diploma, or two-year certificate through the BGJI.

Stagnaro is a percussionist and composer who has performed with Paquito D'Rivera, Gloria Estefan, Greg Hopkins, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Marcus Miller, Danilo Perez, Mark Turner, Diego Urcola, and others.

In 2008, Stagnaro’s band La Timbistica won the DownBeat Student Music Award.

Stagnaro has played at prominent festivals and venues across the globe, including the Newport Jazz Festival, the BeanTown Jazz Festival, IAJE, the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the Kimmel Center, and the Blue Note Jazz Club.

BGJI has three main goals: to provide an interdisciplinary music program where students may explore their creativity to the highest level; explore the social power of music as a tool for the betterment of society; and connect musical creative thinking with the restoration of nature.

The 14 BGJI students were chosen in mid-November and details of the program were officially announced on Jan. 13 at the Panama Jazz Festival’s Gala Night.

Roney, Moran and More @ the Iridium

If you're i nthe Big Apple this weekend, or the rest of this month, a good bet for live jazz.


IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB
1650 BROADWAY (CORNER OF 51ST)
NEW YORK, NY 10023
RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121
HTTP://WWW.IRIDIUMJAZZCLUB.COM/
SETS AT 8:30 & 10:30PM (UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED)
LES PAUL TRIO SETS REMAIN AT 8:00 & 10:00PM


THE IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB WILL CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE LES PAUL THE MAN, HIS MUSIC AND HIS LEGACY EVERY MONDAY NIGHT WITH

THE LES PAUL TRIO AND SPECIAL GUESTS
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS

FEB. 8 VERNON REID (Living Color, Masque)
FEB. 15 John Jorgenson's Gypsy Jazz and Friends (Desert Rose Band, Elton John)
FEB. 22 JEFF ‘SKUNK’ BAXTER (Steely Dan, Doobie Bros.)
MAR. 1 STANLEY JORDAN (Gold-selling Grammy Nominated Guitar Innovator)
MAR. 22 MARTIN TAYLOR (Stephane Grappelli, Chet Atkins, Bill Wyman, George Harrison)

Opening for the Trio Each Week – TW DOYLE - Long time engineer and guitarist for Les Paul
show time starting at 7:45

THIS WEEK AT IRIDIUM

FEB. 8 VERNON REID WITH THE LES PAUL TRIO
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS

TUE. FEB. 9 Stacey Lynn Brass 8 & 10PM
Stacey Lynn Brass: Vocals, Barry Levitt: Piano, Morrie Louden: Bass, Brian Grice: Drums, Robbie Kirshoff: Guitar

FEB. 10 FEB. 10 NASHEET WAITS FEATURING JASON MORAN
Logan Richardson- Alto Sax, Jason Moran- Piano, Tarus Mateen- Bass, Nasheet Waits- Drums

FEB. 11-12 Wallace Roney Quintet
Antoine Roney-REEDS, Rashaan Carter-BASS, Kush Abadey-DRUMS, piano Aruan Ortiz

FEB. 13 & 14 ANDY BEY

Sat. Feb. 13 Bob Malone Midnight

FEB. 14 - LILLIAS WHITE MIDNIGHT


UPCOMING SHOWS

FEBRUARY SCHEDULE

FEB. 15 John Jorgenson's Gypsy Jazz and Friends With TheTHE LES PAUL TRIO
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS

Feb. 16 Jonny Blu 8 & 10PM

FEB. 17 Ed Palermo Big Band

FEB. 18-21 BUSTER WILLIAMS BAND
PATRICE RUSHEN-PIANO, STEVE WILSON-SAXOPHONES, LENNY WHITE-DRUMS

Feb. 20 Paul Safy Jr. Midnight

FEB. 22 FEB. 22 JEFF ‘SKUNK’ BAXTER
WITH THE LES PAUL TRIO AND SPECIAL GUESTS
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS

FEB. 23 Terese Genecco & Her Little Big Band 8 & 10PM
Barry Levitt on Piano
Sean Harkness on Guitar
Ray Marchica on Drums
Tom Hubbard on Bass
Emedin Rivera on Latin Percussion
Cliff Lyons on Tenor Sax
Mark Miller on Trombone
Kenny Lavender on Trumpet

FEB. 24 DAVE STRYKER ORGAN TRIO
DAVE STRYKER, GUITAR, JARED GOLD-ORGAN, STEVE WILLIAMS-DRUMS

FEB. 25-28 Steve Smith's Vital Information New York Edition
Steve Smith, Mark Soskin, Vinny Valentino, Baron Browne, Andy Fusco
Steve Smith's Vital Legacy
Playing the music of Vital Information and Jazz Legacy
Featuring:
Steve Smith (Steps Ahead/Journey) - drums
Andy Fusco (Buddy Rich/Mel Lewis) - alto sax
Mark Soskin (Sonny Rollins/Herbie Mann) - keyboards
Vinny Valentino (Jimmy McGriff/Bill Evans) - guitar
Baron Browne (Jean-Luc Ponty/Billy Cobham) – bass

FEB. 26 - YAACOV MAYMAN BORISLAV STRULEV NEW CHAMBER JAZZ MIDNIGHT

FEB. 27 Matt Geraghty Project MIDNIGHT

Starting March 1st Set Times Will Be 8 and 10 PM
MARCH SCHEDULE

MARCH 1 STANLEY JORDAN
WITH THE LES PAUL TRIO AND SPECIAL GUESTS
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS

MARCH 2 Tony Middleton & The Barry Levitt Band 8 & 10PM

DOUBLE BILL
WED. MARCH 3 E.J. Strickland Quintet + Kendrick Scott Oracle 8 & 10PM

MARCH 4-7 DELFAYO MARSALIS

MARCH 5 Danny Fox Trio MIDNIGHT
Danny Fox-Piano, Chris van Voorst van Beest- Bass, Max Goldman-Drums

MARCH 6 Jake Hertzog MIDNIGHT
Jake Hertzog – Guitar, Harvie S – Bass, Victor Jones – Drums

MAR. 8 THE LES PAUL TRIO 8 & 10PM
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS
WITH SPECIAL GUEST TBA

MARCH 9 Misha Piatigorsky Octet 8 & 10PM

DOUBLE BILL
March 10 Keyon Harrold Quintet + Tim Green Quintet 8 & 10PM

MARCH 11 PUCHO AND THE LATIN SOUL BROTHERS

MARCH 12-14 EDDIE PALMIERI/BRIAN LYNCH BAND

MARCH 13 Caleb Curtis Quintet MIDNIGHT

MAR. 15 THE LES PAUL TRIO 8 & 10PM
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS
WITH SPECIAL GUEST TBA

MAR. 16 - LINA KOUTRAKIS 8PM & 10PM

DOUBLE BILL
March 17 J.D. Allen Trio + Marcus Strickland Trio 8 & 10PM

MARCH 18-21 Adam Rogers Quintet
Kevin Hays- Piano
Adam Rogers- Guitar
Chris Potter- Tenor Sax
Scott Colley- Bass
Clarence Penn- Drums

MAR. 19 - HAL WEARY QUINTET MIDNIGHT

MARCH 20 The Mike Rood Communion MIDNIGHT
Mike Rood – guitar, Mike Bjella – sax, TBA – bass, Colin Stranahan – drums

MAR. 22 MARTIN TAYLOR THE LES PAUL TRIO 8 & 10PM
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS

MAR. 23 - GREGORIO URIBE BAND 8PM & 10PM


DOUBLE BILL
March 24 John Escreet Project + Logan Richardson 8 & 10PM

MARCH 25-28 FREDA PAYNE’S TRIBUTE TO ELLA FITZGERALD

MAR. 26 - JEB PATTON TRIO MIDNIGHT

MAR. 27 - GREG DIAMOND GROUP MIDNIGHT

MAR. 29 THE LES PAUL TRIO 8 & 10PM
LOU PALLO – GUITAR, JOHN COLIANNI – PIANO, NICKI PARROTT – BASS
WITH SPECIAL GUEST TBA

MAR. 30 - TERESE GENECCO & HER LITTLE BIG BAND 8PM & 10PM


SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

www.jazzpromoservices.com

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Jazz Xprss: CD Reviews





Featured:

Roberto Magris & the Europlane Orchestra - Current Views (Soul Note);

As if we hadn't already run out of superlatives in relation to the imagination, warmth and sheer musical drive of pianist Roberto Magris, he again ups the ante with his latest, Current Views. This one features familiar and new cohorts from his Europlane Orchestra. Together they take the listener on an exhilarating ride through just over an hour's worth of originals, though clearly inspired by jazz heroes such as Ellington (Dukish Mood)and Coltrane (For Naima, not actually dedicated to the legend's first wife)The skillfully meandering opener, The StoryTeller and the propulsive "React" are standouts. Well worth the time.

Ray Gaskins - A Night In the Life (Expansion Records)
Ray Gaskins has lived a few lifetimes as jazz/r&b soul sideman and leader, between gigs with Roy Ayers, disco diva Jocelyn Brown and the late great Phyllis Hyman. The Baltimore native puts the mileage to great use on this convincing melange of styles, encompassing soul, funk, and even gospel in good measure. all are buoyed by Gaskins' driving sax wail, and an unavoidable sense of joy - as well as gratitude - for life lived and for the adventures to come.

Benjy Myaz - You've Got Me (MyWerks Music)
enjy Myaz is oneof the leading musical exponents out Jamaica, and though he made his commerical name with homegrown audiences on the strength of vocal ballads such as Intimate Relationship and Randi Crawford's Love You Higher, its Myaz the instrumentalist that comes to the fore here, and to mostly good effect. His covers of the Emotions Don't Ask My Neighbour and Marvin Gaye's What's Goin On are tasty, and Love You Higher gets the instrumental treatment just for good measure. The recording sounds a little top-heavy to these ears, but overall a good product.

Jackie Ryan - Doozy (Open Art)
An aptly named disc, the latest from Jackie Ryan is as easy on the eyes as the singer is, and just as easy on the ears. Ryan ranges with a calculating abandon through a diverse territory of standards and contemporary tunes in English, Spanish and Portuguese(the latter two with even greater intensity than the English), interesting given her own mixed ancestry. The sensuality on such come-ons as "Do Something" is inviting and breezy, without ever becoming cheap or frivolous. A first-class vocal exercise in a very attractive package.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Jazz & Blues 2010 opening nite

"GOOD AYERS" AND COVERS APLENTY ON JAZZFEST OPENER

The Gardens of the Pegasus are no strange ground for live music, improvised and otherwise, and the expanded format Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival turned to the tried and true for the staging of its kick-off for 2010. The fare was mostly tried and true as well with pop covers abounding.The band In2Nation opened at 7:20 with "so Amazing, the first in a medley that took in snips of 3rd World's "Reggae Ambassador" Steel Pulse's "Steppin Out" before Norma Brown-Bell took the stage with apologies for the late start.

Nattily dressed in a white suit, Rico Suave belted the opening lines of Lou Rawls' "You're gonna Miss My Lovin" before stepping up to face the audience. He preceded his next tune Ben E King's "I WHo Have Nothing" witha hypothetical plea for the ladies to support those men who are low on funds in this time of recession.

Suave's "Covers Parade" earned its first noticeable 'forward' when he raised Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" and he exited on a higher plane than when he entered.

Noddy Virtue continued the covers trend, opening with Jimmy Cliff's "Trapped" (made famous by Bruce Springsteen) immediately setting the stage alight with his trademark intensity.
He next delivered "breakfast in Bed" and then an original "mistaken Identity"

Fellow Rising Stars alumnus Jodiann Pantry was waiting in the wings, and he called her on to do their hit collaboration, a cover (of course) of Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses". Pantry was more than up to the task, her voice sounding even more powerful and capable (despite a bit of a Beyonce lilt that appears to have become prominent in her delivery) than during her Rising Stars stint.

Roslyn strated off funky, with Faith Evans' "Mesmerize"before going sultry with "Two Kisses Away". Gave props to Beres hammond ("one of our best male singers -bar none," she said) with "Love Means...." and even the obligatory Marley tune (in this case "Could You Be Loved") was given a high-energy kick by vocalists and band alike.

Sax man Tony Green reprised the earlier-performed "Human Nature" on his instrument
Fausto Papetti's evergreen "Jambalaya" preceded the entry of Harold Davis, who joined Green to deliver the Stylistics' "Stop-Look-Listen to Your Heart" from Green's appropriately titled forthcoming CD, "Covers" and he capped with "Little Red Shoes" the Parker standard that has become something of a signature for Green as well.

Bassist-gutiarist-vocalist Benji Myaz then entered to a cascade of bells, which eventually gave way to his trademark guitar sound and the opening of the hit "Love Will Find A Way" swirling with horn and key breaks, segueing seamlessly into Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On". Scatting through this tune was the first concession made to what was otherwise a full instrumental session.

It deepened with a suitably raucous dub exercise , before Myaz brought topical subject into the mix: Haiti. His "I Feel Your Pain" was written in the early hours of Monday morning and recorded Wednesday of that week. A suitably spare tune, it allowed Myaz to share his compassion and feeling for our neighbours to the east.

A lighter feel ensued with his fluid cover of Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do (You'll Do For Love)" and then went into "My Father, My Friend". Of course, he could not perform in Jamaica without doing "love You Higher" ably supported by Nicholas Laraque on saxophone. The audience was ready to sing along even before he prompted them.

The opening act dressed in white, and veteran vibraphonist Roy Ayers(proudly declaring that he was 69 years old), the headliner, was a visual counterpoint, dressed in full black. He opened with "In Time We Will Be One" a mid-tempo smooth number, with good support from the entire band, but particularly saxophonist ray Gaskins and drummer ...

He followed with the funky "Don't Stop The Feelin'" (with more incendiary sax work from Gaskins) before dedicating his first major hit "Everybody Loves The Sunshine" to those "living in a sunshine environment".

The sultry "Baby You Got It" followed, with vocalist ... putting his superb falsetto to work.

After a brief "Happy Birthday" to one of the band members, Ayers did a couple of tunes from his early CD "Evolution"( including "Top of the world" "Runnin Away" and the title track. On the introspective yet expressive "The third Eye" Ayers expounded in spoken word. .... (popularized by rapper Busta Rhymes as "Put Your Hnds Where My Eyes Can See")saw Ayers taking command unleashing solo after intense solo.

Too intense for a considerable number of patrons, who departed intermittently throughout the set. Those who stayed were richly rewarded by a super performance form a band truly at the top of its funk-pop-r&b instrumental form.

The festival unfolds at various venues over the next several days.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Gerald Wilson & Orchestra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3vD3Vl_C6k