Lee Ritenour Earns Grammy Nominations

With the launch of his new website Lee Ritenour has provided his fans with a full update of recent achievements and things to expect from him in the coming year.

Here is the update in his own words, “I wanted to mention that my latest album with Dave Grusin, “Amparo,” was nominated for a Grammy,” Lee writes, “Also, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band’s latest record ‘Act Your Age,’ that I produced, earned 3 Grammy nominations!

I’ve been in the studio again producing a new project. Her name is Annekei and she’s originally from Denmark and now living in New York City. She’s a wonderful singer/songwriter that plays piano and guitar and combines a unique, original blend of soul, jazz, and pop. The project is turning out great and should be out by late Spring 2009.

In the first part of 2009 I’ll be finishing Annekei’s album and doing some writing for a new project of mine. Some touring is being planned for the summer so look for the updates in the first quarter.

Coming up on January 31st, Dave Grusin and I have a special performance with orchestra at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. We will be performing pieces from the new “Amparo” album, plus some acoustic jazz with Dave, Abraham Laboriel, and Will Kennedy.

Recently I participated in the tribute to BB King that was given by the Thelonious Monk Institute. It was an amazing evening of talent with many guitarists jamming with BB and included performances by Bono, The Edge, Keb Mo, Robert Cray and many others.”

For more information you can check out Lee Ritenour’s new website, leeritenour.com

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Profile: Courtney Pine

Courtney Pine, who has been appointed a CBE in the New Year Honours, has been at the forefront of Britain's jazz scene for the past 20 years.
Best known as a saxophonist, he is in fact a multi-instrumentalist adept at the flute, bass clarinet and keyboards.

His debut album, 1987's Journey To The Urge Within, was the first serious jazz record to make the top 40, and spearheaded a jazz revival in the UK.
Key to his success is a willingness to stretch the boundaries of his genre.
Pine has, sometimes controversially, combined traditional acoustic jazz with reggae, soul, drum 'n' bass and afro-beat.


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Smooth Jazz Shown The Door In Miami

As far as smooth jazz radio is concerned 2008 went out much like it started. Beginning the day after Christmas, Clear Channel’s WLVE (Love 94) in Miami switched from Smooth Jazz to what it is calling Rhythmic AC. What that really means is the station, now dubbed 93.9-FM MIA, ‘Move to the Music’, will be playing inoffensive and semi-current hits from the likes of Leona Lewis and Rihanna plus a clutch of instantly forgettable oldies from Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Jennifer Lopez. Frighteningly the word is that Rick Astley's ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ has already been heard.

Although the Smooth Jazz format will soon be available on the station’s HD2 sub-channel the move is entirely consistent with the genre’s ‘on air’ demise. Following on from the loss of smooth jazz radio in New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia Washington DC and Jacksonville, the closure is just one more in a sequence that has decimated the market right down the I-95 corridor. There is little doubt that, when the casualties in Houston and Denver are added in, the prognosis is indeed dire.

Leaving aside the growing band of smooth jazz starved radio listeners, the principle victims in all of this are those mainly independent artists who struggle to find an outlet. Consequently let’s thank heavens for the publicists, websites and streaming radio stations who are prepared to offer a voice to those performers who otherwise would now never be heard.

It’s a Smooth Jazz Therapy prediction that 2009 will be the year when the phoenix that is Smooth Jazz rises from the flames to find a new on-line home. Check back here often to follow how it happens.

By: Smooth Jazz Therapy, written and produced by Denis Poole.
Smooth Jazz Therapy

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The Jazz Ear: Conversations over Music

Ratliff, the jazz critic for the New York Times, spent just over two years interviewing jazz greats for a recurring feature at the paper: rather than ask musicians like Pat Metheny or Dianne Reeves to name their favorite records, Ratliff sat with them as they listened to songs and picked out the qualities they found most artistically compelling. The approach brings some surprises, as his subjects pick everything from Ukrainian cantorial music to Ralph Vaughan Williams to the Fifth Dimension, but each chapter brings provocative insights and will have readers scurrying to track down various records. (Ratliff also provides a listening guide for each of his interviewees.) Though each chapter stands alone, connections are made from one interview to the next; Metheny and Joshua Redman, for example, both select songs from Sonny Rollins. The interview with Redman also hints at Ratliff's argument in his 2007 Coltrane: The Story of a Sound about jazz as a collaborative medium, while Branford Marsalis speaks candidly about young musicians' failure to understand the melodic legacy they've inherited, then plays a jazz-influenced piece by Stravinsky to make his point. Whether you're a seasoned listener or just discovering the form, Ratliff is a wonderful guide. (Nov. 11)

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Ritzy Rainbow Room Can't Afford to Serve Food

Current economic climate and landlord dispute to blame

The legendary Rainbow Room is the latest victim of the current economic meltdown– saying it will close its restaurant, the Rainbow Grill, a company official said.

The Cipriani family, which operates the Rainbow Room, told NBCNewYork Friday "We are currently planning on temporarily closing the Rainbow Grill, which will operate as a bar only. The Rainbow Room will continue to host banquets as well as dinner dancing.”

The Ciprianis have been locked in a dispute over lease terms with their landlord at Rockefeller Center, Tishman Speyer.

John Higgins, the Chief Operating Officer of Cipriani, said the decision to close the restaurant was “due to the current economic crisis in New York and around the world, on top of an ongoing dispute with our landlord.”

In August, The Cipriani company filed a 75-page report asking the city to designate the Rainbow Room as a city landmark.

The company says that landmark status would “protect the Rainbow Room from being converted into office space by Tishman Speyer.”

A spokesman for Tishman Speyer said that the company had no plans to convert it.

The Rainbow Room, perched on the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center, opened its doors on October 3, 1934. Through the years it has been a storied nightclub, dining destination and an icon of New York style and sophistication

By VICTORIA CAVALIERE
nbcnewyork.com

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Bob Mover - Peggy's Blue Skylight (Video)

jazzvideoguy.tv presents alto sax legend Bob Mover, in performance. Check out Bob's new recording, his first in twenty years, "It Amazes Me," on Zoho Music.

Bob Mover: Alto Saxophone
Tom Morimoto: Tenor Saxophone
James Zollar: Trumpet
Sasha Perry: Piano
Esperanza Spalding: Bass
Victor Lewis: Drums

For more Mover: bobmover.com



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Music Sales Fell in 2008, but Climbed on the Web

Sales of recorded music fell sharply in 2008, as consumers continued to migrate away from the CD format, large retailers reduced floor space for music and the recession dampened consumer spending during the critical year-end holiday shopping period.

Total album sales in the United States, including CDs and full-album downloads, were 428 million, a 14 percent drop from 2007, according to data from Nielsen SoundScan. Since the industry’s peak in 2000, album sales have declined 45 percent, although digital music purchases continue to grow at a rapid rate.

Read the complete article By BEN SISARIO at The New York Times

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Start The New Year With A Jazz Starter Kit

A couple of weeks ago, my brother in Seattle called and asked if I could recommend a few jazz CDs for his 20-year-old son who had expressed an interest. A starter kit, if you will.

I’ve had like requests many, many times over the years, and so it dawned on me: Why not publish one?
Here’s a 10-CD jazz primer designed to lure those curious about the genre into being, if not hooked, at least satisfied enough to continue a jazz quest. Being a jazzbo like me can be lonely these days, so the more folks I can recruit the better.

Before we get started, a few words about criteria. I didn’t attempt to cover all the bases in jazz history. The idea here is seduction through listenability, while offering a solid overview. I may love 1930s Duke Ellington, but to the uninitiated it tends to sound like music from old cartoons. Likewise, I dig Albert Ayler, but most people would hear it as squawky noise and want to plug their ears.

That said, this is no dumbed-down list. Most of the titles are recognized classics, and a few will pose a challenge, especially for those who like their music sensible and orderly.

There are many overlapping players on these discs, but I purposely limited artists to one title. See the list by Eric Snider at Creative Loafing Tampa Calling

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Legendary Soul Singer Van Morrison Returns

Multi-award-winning legendary soul singer and songwriter Van Morrison has returned with a live recording slated for release in early 2009. The album marks the first record to be issued on Morrison’s own label, Listen To The Lion Records, which will be distributed worldwide.

The album captures the widely-acclaimed live performance Morrison gave at the venerable Hollywood Bowl in November, which featured a breathtaking recreation of the “Astral Weeks” album.

In his remarkable career, Morrison has become one of the most influential artists in the modern age. His album “Astral Weeks,” originally released 40 years ago, was heralded as a groundbreaking work and today is universally regarded as one of the most important albums in popular music history.

Timeless music from the soul, “Astral Weeks” is ranked one of the greatest albums of all time by Mojo, Rolling Stone and Britain’s The Times.

“This particular show at the Bowl was electrifying,” said Ian Ralfini, Senior Vice President, EMI Music. “For some of us it was a little bit of nostalgia and for others it was a brand new experience. But for everyone it was a great concert and a piece of musical history.

For further information on the release and for more information about Van Morrison you can visit his website, vanmorrison.com.

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Upcoming Jazz Releases | 1/6/09

Bennie Green - Bennie Green (Pid )
Bobby Burgess & Big - Live At Rosenau Stuttg (Pid )
Booker Little - Booker Little (Pid )
Charles Mingus - Jazz Experiments Of Charlie Mingus (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Corona - Old Devil Moon (Pid )
Courtois & Courvoisi - As Soon As Possible (Pid )
Danilo Rea & Martux - Reminiscence (Pid )
Danny Green - With You In Mind (Alante Recordings)
Danny Green - With You In Mind (Alante Recordings)
Dave Liebman & Enri - Liebman Meets Intra-Li (Pid )
Gabriel Rosati - Pacific Time (JDC )
Gil Scott-Heron - Very Best Of (Pid )
Harry Waters - Harry Waters Band (Harry Waters )
Ilgter - Live Ilg (Pid )
Ilgter - A La Carte (Pid )
Ilgter - Due (Pid )
Ilgter - Folk Songs (Pid )
Ilgter - Fieldwork (Pid )
Jackie Paris - Sings The Lylics Of Ira Gershwin (Pid )
Keiko Lee - Delight (Sony Japan )
Kenny Dorham - Jazz Contemporary (Pid )
Kenny Dorham - Showboat (Pid )
Lee Ritenour - Gentle Thought (Pid )
Maria Pia De Vito - Dialektos Ft.Gabriele (Pid )
Max Roach - Award-Winning Drummer (Pid )
Now Arabia 2009 - Now Arabia 2009 (EMI Arabia )
Raymond Lefevre - Palmares Des Chansons (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - Palmares Des Chansons 2 (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - Palmares Des Chansons 3 (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - Palmares Des Chansons 4 (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - No 5 (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - No 6 (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - No 7 (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - No 9 (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - No 10 (JVC Japan )
Raymond Lefevre - No 12 (JVC Japan )
Science Fiction Jazz 11 - Science Fiction Jazz 11 (Mole Listening Pearl )
Sonny Clark - Sonny Clark Trio (Pid )
Stanley Turrentine - Stan The Man Turrentine (JVC Japan )
Stanley Turrentine - Tommy Turrentine (Pid )
Terry Gibbs - Hootenanny My Way (Pid )
Various Artists - Give It One (Cala )
Victor Harris - Midnight At Malibu: Essential Victor Harris (Omega )
Victor Harris - Midnight At Malibu: The Essential Victor Harris (Omega )
WE - I Like Too Much (Pid )

Reissues
Charles MIngus - East Coasting (Shout! Factory)

Our thanks to:

New release information provided by allaboutjazz.com
The Upcoming Release Center at allaboutjazz.com is the most comprehensive new release listing for jazz music on the internet.
The information is updated biweekly by John Kelman

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Village Voice Lays Off Nat Hentoff and 2 Others

Mr. Hentoff said he learned the news in a phone call with Mr. Ortega on Tuesday morning.

“I’m 83 and a half. You’d think they’d have let me go silently,” he said.

“Fortunately, I’ve never been more productive.”


The troubled Village Voice laid off three employees Tuesday, including Nat Hentoff, the prominent columnist who has worked for the paper since 1958, contributing opinionated columns about jazz, civil liberties and politics.

Lynn Yaeger, a fashion writer who has worked for the paper for about 30 years, was also laid off, as was Chloe A. Hilliard, who has written for two years.

“Nat Hentoff wrote liner notes for every great musician that I’ve ever loved, from Billie Holiday to Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, and that’s not even what he’s been writing about for the last 30 years,” said Tom Robbins, a Voice staff writer.

Founded in 1955, The Village Voice was sold in 2005 to New Times Media, a Phoenix-based publisher of alternative weeklies that later changed its name to Village Voice Media. Calls for comment from Jim Larkin, the chief executive of Village Voice Media, and Tony Ortega, who was hired as Village Voice editor in 2007, were not returned.

Mr. Robbins estimated that since the sale, The Voice has laid off about half of its staff. “I understand they have serious advertising revenue problems, but they don’t seem to be able to sit there and just talk about them with their own work force to deal with these problems,” he said.

In an article in the current issue of The New Yorker about The Voice, Louis Menand wrote, “Until its own success made it irresistible to buyers who imagined that they could do better with a business plan than its founders had done from desperation and instinct, it had the courage to live by its wits.”

Mr. Hentoff said he learned the news in a phone call with Mr. Ortega on Tuesday morning. “I’m 83 and a half. You’d think they’d have let me go silently,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve never been more productive.”

Mr. Hentoff plans to continue to write a weekly column for the United Media syndicate and contribute pieces to The Wall Street Journal. His book “At the Jazz Band Ball: 60 Years on the Jazz Scene,” is expected next year.

“With all due immodesty, I think it doesn’t help to lose me because people have told me they read The Voice not only for me, but certainly for me,” he said.

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD New York Times

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Wynton Marsalis, Sandra Day O'Connor To Lead "A Celebration Of America"

Hosted by Anderson Cooper & Soledad O'Brien - Live on CNN

To be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Monday, January 19th at 7 p.m.

Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Rockefeller Foundation will present “A CELEBRATION OF AMERICA” in the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theater on the occasion of the Presidential Inauguration and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 19, 2009 live on CNN at 7 p.m.

The evening’s program will look back on the life of one of the greatest of all Americans, and forward to a new era under a new President.  An all-star cast will illustrate that American democracy and America's music – jazz – share the same tenets and embody the same potential for change, hope and renewal, which Dr. King himself called America's “triumphant music.”  Special guest stars will be announced shortly.

“A CELEBRATION OF AMERICA” by Jazz at Lincoln Center is made possible through the generous support of the Rockefeller Foundation.

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