From Brett.Delmage at OttawaJazzScene.ca Thu Jul 8 18:04:03 2010 From: Brett.Delmage at OttawaJazzScene.ca (Brett Delmage) Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 18:04:03 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [members-announce] OttawaJazzScene.ca celebrates first successful year and strong local jazz scene Message-ID: For immediate release: 2010 July 7 Jazz website celebrates first successful year: The festival is over but OttawaJazzScene.ca shows the Ottawa-Gatineau jazz scene is vibrant all year long ?Ottawa-Gatineau's live jazz and improvised music scene is vibrant and has something to offer listeners every week of the year, not just for 11 days during the Ottawa International Jazz Festival,? says Brett Delmage, publisher of OttawaJazzScene.ca . OttawaJazzScene.ca celebrated its first anniversary on July 3. The website is a comprehensive and authoritative resource for local jazz and improvised-music events, listing well over 1000 events in its first 12 months. As well, it published over 100 previews, musician interviews, photo sets, podcasts, and reviews in that time. ?I launched OttawaJazzScene.ca during the Ottawa Jazz Festival last year to inform the thousands of festival-goers about the incredible talent playing jazz every week in our local restaurants, clubs and halls,? said Delmage. ?The website is for jazz listeners: to let them know about and enjoy the great music which others and I were enjoying all year long.? ?I wanted to put Ottawa on the jazz map.? In fact, he said, he has received inquiries from visiting jazz fans about what clubs to try when they're in town. The local jazz scene is as broad as it is deep. Musicians of all ages are making the scene. Vocalist Ren?e Yoxon, just 22, and a recent graduate of Carleton University, sings blues and jazz every Monday night at Bar 56 and has led groups in numerous other venues. Hugh O'Connor, who has lived and played in Ottawa for 50 years and who still plays every Sunday afternoon at Chez Lucien, made and released his first CD in April at age 81. And the scene is no longer confined to a few restaurants and clubs in downtown Ottawa. Latin band ?Los Gringos? reunited to play again last fall and filled a large pub in Barrhaven - on two Sunday nights several months apart! The scene has expanded to Gatineau, where an increasing number of pubs and restaurants started regularly featuring jazz this year OttawaJazzScene.ca normally has listings for venues from Moose Creek to Carleton Place, and from Chelsea to Kanata. Nor is it limited to vocalists singing standards, or jazz combos playing bebop. Saxophonist, accordionist and CKCU radio host Bernard Stepien and others presented a highly energized, avant-garde ?Christmas? music show on December 23. Carleton University music professor, composer and percussionist Jesse Stewart opened Winterlude with a quartet playing instruments made of ice; he also played a totally improvised performance with renowned Canadian artist Michael Snow at the National Gallery on March 18. Just before Easter, the Impressions in Jazz Orchestra (IJO) and Capital Vox choir almost filled Dominion-Chalmers Church (and definitely filled the stage) with 50 musicians presenting Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts. Drummer Mike Essoudry started a marching band this winter, where the musicians parade as they play his mash-up of jazz and world music. Jazz musicians have played to full houses in the NAC's Fourth Stage repeatedly in the past year: local jazz musicians launching CDs, a tribute to vocalist Blossom Dearie, jazz interpretations of Paul Simon's music, ?extreme makeovers? of pop hits into jazz - even jazz for New Year's Eve. The number of jazz music series and audience interest in them has grown. Ottawa guitarist Roddy Ellias, presented his second season of guitar duos and larger groups in a variety of styles at Caf? Paradiso, which itself has been presenting live jazz by local and touring artists for a dozen years. Bassist John Geggie brought in renowned guest musicians from outside Ottawa to play at the NAC's Fourth Stage, frequently to full audiences, in the ninth year of his series. The Capital Vox jazz choir is in its fourth year of singing challenging jazz vocal music. IJO is about to announce its sixth winter season; this year, three of its concerts recreated music by Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington, while a fourth was completely improvised, with the audience choosing what would be played. The Jazz Festival has increased the number of concerts in its own fall-winter series over the last few years, and included accomplished local artists such as drummer/composer Mike Essoudry and his Octet, and percussionist/trombonist Rory Magill and his Rake-Star Project With each of these planning artistically exciting 2010-11 series, audiences can look forward to 15-20 excellent shows from the series presenters alone. ?There is a lot of jazz going on,? said OttawaJazzScene.ca editor Alayne McGregor. ?On a few occasions, we've had to ask musicians where they were really playing ? we noticed they were double-booked before they did.? As well as writing feature interviews and reviews, McGregor maintains OttawaJazzScene.ca's comprehensive schedule of jazz-related events. Caf? Nostalgica, at the University of Ottawa, presents jazz every Wednesday night from fall through spring. Summer is normally a quieter time with most students away so they shut down musically. But this summer, they are continuing their regular Wednesday jazz nights, starting with long-time Ottawa vocalist and trombonist Steve Berndt. ?It can be a tough choice. Some nights, one has to choose from six shows, or try to catch some of a few excellent shows ? says McGregor. ?There are currently 114 listings from now until next May in our upcoming events calendar ? and this is the _quiet_ time of the jazz year.? In addition to live performances, there is also a growing interest in jazz education and personal participation. JazzWorks, which holds monthly jam sessions for local jazz musicians and has run a premiere summer 'jazz camp' for amateur musicians for 17 years, is joined by a new jazz camp at Carleton University for this year, led by local saxophonist / improviser Mike Tremblay. Last fall, jazz guitarist Tim Bedner started a mentoring series, partnering young jazz players with local jazz masters at Caf? Paradiso, which attracted both lots of participants and a good audience. The National Arts Centre's ?Manhattan on the Rideau? jazz masterclasses have attracted a number of local musicians to participate with top-notch NYC musicians, and even more local jazz fans to watch. There is no doubt that the jazz scene gets a bit less intense at the end of the Jazz Festival, McGregor said. ?But there will be up to 354 days filled with incredible, live, local jazz and improvised music before the 2011 Festival arrives.? OttawaJazzScene.ca editor Alayne McGregor is a software designer and journalist, who has also written jazz reviews for AllAboutJazz.com. Since 1989, she has volunteered at the Ottawa Jazz Festival selling T-shirts and other souvenirs. In the last 25 years, she has heard some of the world's best jazz artists at festivals, concerts, and clubs in Montreal, Toronto, Guelph, and New York ? and here in Ottawa. OttawaJazzScene.ca publisher Brett Delmage is a member of the Jazz Journalists Association, and has been listening to thousands of jazz recordings and live gigs for more than 25 years. He was an Ottawa Jazz Festival volunteer for 19 years. A software developer for 25 years, he has photographed jazz for 10 years and has exhibited prints at the National Press Club and Ottawa Public Library. For the past four seasons, he was the official photographer for Impressions in Jazz Orchestra ( photos.impressionsinjazz.ca ). Prior to creating OttawaJazzScene.ca, he was editor of a weekly jazz email newsletter. For more information: Alayne McGregor Editor, OttawaJazzScene.ca editor at OttawaJazzScene.ca 613-722-6210 From roberta at robertajazz.com Sat Jul 10 02:18:38 2010 From: roberta at robertajazz.com (Roberta Piket) Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2010 02:18:38 -0400 Subject: [members-announce] RP Trio Performance Monday July 26th Message-ID: <002801cb1ff7$bd9c2060$38d46120$@com> visit www.robertajazz.com for live performance video of the trio and more _______________________________________ To be removed from this mailing list please reply and let us know. From toniballard at townisp.com Sat Jul 10 12:19:35 2010 From: toniballard at townisp.com (Toni Ballard) Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:19:35 -0400 Subject: [members-announce] GRAMMY-nominated Jazz Vocalist JANET LAWSON Returns to Latvia to Perform and Teach at Jazz Camp Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE GRAMMY-NOMINATED JAZZ VOCALIST JANET LAWSON RETURNS TO LATVIA TO PERFORM AND TEACH AT JAZZ CAMP NEW YORK, July 10, 2010 -- New York City-based jazz vocalist JANET LAWSON is off to Latvia once again to sing and teach at the IX INTERNATIONAL LATVIAN YOUNG MUSICIANS' MASTER CLASSES, Held every two years, previously in Ogre, the music camp takes place in Sigulda, Latvia July 15-24, 2010. The music camp offers young musicians, who range in age from 17 to 22, the opportunity to study with world-renowned musicians and educators in the areas of classical vocal and instrumental music, Latvian classics and jazz. Lawson will teach improvisation and scat-sing jazz standards with an esteemed classical music faculty that includes renowned pianist RAIMONDS PETRAUSKIS and classical and jazz flutist and Berklee College of Music graduate ILONA KUDINA. This year Lawson will be singing more than ever. Since being diagnosed in 2001 with Lyme Disease and Bell's Palsy, which affected her ability to sing, Lawson has pursued her recovery as passionately as her singing. As Adjunct Professor of Vocal Jazz at The New School in New York City, as well as teaching privately, she imparts theoretical information in a way that encourages non-judgmental self-awareness, guiding students to create the kinds of solos she herself is noted for -- fearless improvisations. For the past year, as her voice has grown stronger, she has rehearsed with RATZO B. HARRIS, an original member of the Janet Lawson Quintet, to develop a voice-and-bass duo inspired by the mastery of Sheila Jordan and Harvie S. Lawson has been traveling to Latvia to teach at the camps since 1994. Her visits have also included performances at local jazz clubs and the Saulkrasti Jazz Festival with such noted Latvian jazz musicians as late, legendary also sax player Raimonds Raubisko; pianists Viktors Ritov and Madars Kalnins; bassist Andris Grunte; sax and flute player Deniss Paskevics; alto saxophonist Niks Gothams; soprano saxophonist Artis Gaga; drummers Artis Orubs, Haralds Bondaris and Californian Bruce Becker; and her former vocal improvisation student, now Latvia's top jazz vocalist, Inga Berzina. THE INTERNATIONAL LATVIAN YOUNG MUSICIANS' CAMPS were first organized in Mount Orford, Quebec, Canada in 1985, 1987, and 1990. Subsequently eight International Latvian Young Musicians' Camps/Master Classes have taken place in Latvia; in 1994 in Jaungulbene; and in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 in Ogre, Latvia. The theme of IX International Latvian Young Musicians' Master Classes is "FREEDOM IN MUSIC," and Lawson has been invited to lecture on that topic to faculty and students. She will offer her perspective as a jazz musician regarding repertoire, style of performance, and approaches to teaching jazz. She will also present some of her views from her forthcoming book, "THE INTEGRATED ARTIST: IMPROVISATION AS A WAY OF LIFE," in relation to, in her words, "how improvisation nourishes the authenticity of one's development as an artist -- a voice that's true to the creative spirit, that communicates more deeply from within and, at the same time, speaks to the depths of others." In 1999 Lawson presented a jazz education program called JAZZ JOURNEY at Latvia's Riga College of Pedagogy and Education. Jazz Journey, which she originally conceived with renowned composer CARMAN MOORE and later developed into an interactive program for children with noted pianist LENORE RAPHAEL, is a hands-on program that traces the journey of West Africans taken from their homeland as it teaches the history and musical components of jazz. After Lawson's successful residency at the IV International Young Latvian Musicians Camp in 2000, students and teachers from both institutions wanted to experience Jazz Journey for themselves and pass it on to their students. In 2002 Jazz Journey was adopted by music teachers throughout Latvia, who brought the program to their respective music schools and colleges, including the Latvian Academy of Music. JANET LAWSON Born in Baltimore to a family of professional musicians, Janet Lawson made her singing debut at the age of three and in her teens performed with big bands. After moving to New York, she began her studies with distinguished composer/arranger Hall Overton and made her debut appearance in the Village Vanguard with the Art Farmer Quartet. Throughout her career she has appeared with, among other jazz greats, Duke Ellington, Tommy Flanagan, Joe Newman, Barney Kessel, Milt Hinton, Ron Carter, Barry Harris, Dave Liebman, David and Lida Baker, Rufus Reid, Clark Terry, Billy Higgins, Cedar Walton, and Bob Dorough. Lawson was soprano soloist with the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre in "BLOOD MEMORIES" at City Center and composed and created, with lyricist Diane Snow, the musical "JASS IS A LADY," supported by NEA and ASCAP Theatre Workshop and produced by Playwrights Horizons in New York City. Lawson has appeared at major New York jazz clubs and has toured the US, Canada and the Far East. She performs mostly in Europe at festivals and clubs, including the Jazz Cafe in London, the Duc des Lombards in Paris, the Copenhagen Jazz House in Denmark with The Very Big Band, plus concerts and clubs throughout Latvia and Lithuania. Her group, the Janet Lawson Quintet, has recorded two albums, "THE JANET LAWSON QUINTET," which earned her a GRAMMYR nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Performance-Female (On a short list of jazz vocalists nominated for a first album, she lost to Ella Fitzgerald), and "DREAMS CAN BE." Cambria Master Recordings recently excerpted the albums for the new CD "THE JANET LAWSON QUINTET," and in 2001, Celeste, a Japanese label, released two CDs of her earlier works plus recordings with David Lahm on Palo Alto's "REAL JAZZ FOR THE FOLKS WHO FEEL JAZZ" and Eddie Jefferson on Inner City's "THE MAIN MAN." Lawson is widely recognized for her impeccable musicianship and free-spirited, swinging improvisation. Her commitment to improvisation, the essence of jazz, and her later studies with tenor sax master Warne Marsh nourished her conception of the voice as an instrument. This dedication to the musicianship of singers led her to extending her voice into the field of jazz education. A gifted teacher of vocal jazz technique and self expression, Lawson has conducted clinics throughout the world and master classes at the Manhattan School of Music, Berklee College of Music, Indiana University at Bloomington, City Stages in Birmingham, Alabama, and the University of Calgary, and has taught at Jamey Aebersold's jazz camp, and at IAJE with Patty Coker and Berklee's Bob Stoloff. Lawson headed the Vocal Jazz program at Wm. Paterson in Wayne, New Jersey, from 1981 to 1988. She is one of the founders of the Vocal Department at the New School, where she is currently Adjunct Professor of Vocal Jazz. She has been a rostered artist in the Pennsylvania Arts in Education (Artist in Residency) Programs since 1990. Lawson was the first jazz vocalist to offer master classes in Latvia and created the Vocal Jazz Program at the prestigious Teacher's Training Academy in Riga, Latvia, which now offers degrees in Vocal Jazz. Lawson is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation, the New York and Pennsylvania Councils on the Arts, and ArtsLink. She was co-awarded the New School's Collaborative Project Award with Adjunct Professor of Visual Arts, Craig Houser. Lawson is listed in the "NEW GROVE DICTIONARY OF JAZZ" and the "ALL MUSIC GUIDE TO JAZZ" and is included in Leslie Gourse's book "LOUIS' CHILDREN" and in Scott Yanow's book "THE JAZZ SINGERS." After a lengthy illness that prevented her from singing, Lawson is recovering and has returned to living, gigging and teaching in New York, where her spirit was first nourished by the music and musicians she loves. She wrote a book, "THE INTEGRATED ARTIST: IMPROVISATION AS A WAY OF LIFE," which will be published in Latvia, about her journey to recovery, and she is working on a soon-to-be-published children's book and accompanying CD about the history of jazz, "GRANDMA SAGE AND HER MAGIC MUSIC ROOM," with story and original music co-written with renowned composer and author, Carman Moore. And she continues to foster the vision of the voice in jazz -- how journalist of jazz legends for decades IRA GITLER describes Lawson's voice -- "VOX INSTRUMENTUM." And STANLEY CROUCH, celebrated critic and journalist, says, "... Janet Lawson is a true musician ... up next to the musicians with whom she's working on an equal level." For more information about Janet Lawson, visit: http://janetlawson.hypermart.net . For information, CDs or interview requests, please contact: Toni Ballard, toniballard at townisp.com, 508-633-8583 From muzikmuse at comcast.net Mon Jul 19 12:23:22 2010 From: muzikmuse at comcast.net (Willard Jenkins) Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:23:22 -0400 Subject: [members-announce] Fresh Content Message-ID: <83EF4669-1551-4651-9E21-596B49216ABA@comcast.net> After a brief vacation & book related hiatus, there's fresh new content in The Independent Ear at www.openskyjazz.com/blog: - The second installment in our series of conversations with what is unfortunately an increasingly scarce 21st century entity: the black jazz presenter entrepreneur... - A conversation with Sarah Charles on the development of Search And Restore, which brought you the recent Undead Jazzfest and the annual Winterfest... - Notes on a recent sighting of the upward arc of pianist-composer Orrin Evans... - The case for Hubert Laws recent designation as a NEA Jazz Master... - Our recommendation of a rewarding read: James Gavin's exhaustively-researched Lena Horne bio Stormy Weather... - Updates on the forthcoming new book African Rhythms, the as-told-to autobiography of NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston; Composed by Randy Weston, Arranged by Willard Jenkins. As always your comments are welcome... COMING IN OCTOBER: Willard Jenkins www.openskyjazz.com Home of the Independent Ear From roberta at robertajazz.com Wed Jul 21 11:22:10 2010 From: roberta at robertajazz.com (Roberta Piket) Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:22:10 -0400 Subject: [members-announce] Trio at Miles' Cafe early Monday eve Message-ID: <000101cb28e8$7ea4bbc0$7bee3340$@com> July 26 . 7:30pm - 9:30pm _____ Miles' Cafe 212 E. 52nd street New York, NY _____ Roberta Piket, piano Yoshi Waki, bass Billy Mintz, drums Need we say more? Video, audio and more at www.robertajazz.com and myspace.com/robertapiket Visit us on: Facebook MySpace The 61 -------------- next part -------------- visit www.robertajazz.com for live performance video of the trio and more _______________________________________ To be removed from this mailing list please reply and let us know. From roberta at robertajazz.com Mon Jul 26 11:11:23 2010 From: roberta at robertajazz.com (Roberta Piket) Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:11:23 -0400 Subject: [members-announce] Trio at Miles' Cafe early Monday eve Message-ID: <000601cb2cd4$d0fcabe0$72f603a0$@com> July 26 . 7:30pm - 9:30pm _____ Miles' Cafe 212 E. 52nd street New York, NY _____ Roberta Piket, piano Yoshi Waki, bass Billy Mintz, drums Need we say more? Video, audio and more at www.robertajazz.com and myspace.com/robertapiket Visit us on: Facebook MySpace The 61 -------------- next part -------------- visit www.robertajazz.com for live performance video of the trio and more _______________________________________ To be removed from this mailing list please reply and let us know.