Op-Ed Guest Columnist By BONO Once upon a couple of weeks ago ...
I’m in a crush in a Dublin pub around New Year’s. Glasses clinking clicking, clashing crashing in Gaelic revelry: swinging doors, sweethearts falling in and out of the season’s blessings, family feuds subsumed or resumed. Malt joy and ginger despair are all in the queue to be served on this, the quarter-of-a-millennium mark since Arthur Guinness first put velvety blackness in a pint glass.
Interesting mood. The new Irish money has been gambled and lost; the Celtic Tiger’s tail is between its legs as builders and bankers laugh uneasy and hard at the last year, and swallow uneasy and hard at the new. There’s a voice on the speakers that wakes everyone out of the moment: it’s Frank Sinatra singing “My Way.” His ode to defiance is four decades old this year and everyone sings along for a lifetime of reasons. I am struck by the one quality his voice lacks: Sentimentality...
The New Year is suddenly upon us and with the new calendar comes a list of upcoming Smooth Jazz Festivals and cruises, including Berks Jazz, Portland Jazz, The Smooth Jazz Cruise and Playboy Jazz Cruise.
Fourplay’s Harvey Mason will begin the year of smooth jazz events when he performs at the 16th Annual Barbados Jazz Festival, which also features DeeDee Bridgewater and other jazz musicians.
The festival runs from January 12th through January 18th. For complete details you can visit barbadosjazzfestival.com.
The Smooth Jazz Cruise, which gathers the finest stars in the smooth jazz world together with other musicians, comedy and fun, sets sail in mid-January.
The upcoming cruise will mark the 6th sailing of the Smooth Jazz Cruise, which will be hosted by the one and only Wayman Tisdale. This cruise has become quite an enthusiastic institution with more than 60% of The Smooth Jazz Cruise guests booking reservations for the following year’s cruise before they even leave the ship.
Many artists are scheduled to share the spotlight with Wayman, among them will be Gerald Albright, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Jonathan Butler, Kirk Whalum, Peter White, Peabo Bryson, Jeff Golub, Euge Groove, Everette Harp, Jeff Lorber and a plethora of others.
The cruise runs from January 18th through the 25th. For further information you can visit thesmoothjazzcruise.com.
Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Playboy Jazz Festival, Playboy and Jazz Cruises are hosting the first ever Playboy Jazz Cruise; taking the premise of their renowned jazz festival to the seas.
Hosted by Marcus Miller, this celebratory inaugural voyage will feature special guest Herbie Hancock along with a musician line-up, with more to come, that currently includes Dianne Reeves, Keb’ Mo’, Poncho Sanchez, James Moody and more.
The Playboy Jazz Cruise runs from January 25th through February 1st. For more information you can visit their website, playboyjazzcruise.com.
Elsewhere, on the ground, the 2009 Portland Jazz Festival will take its cue from Cannonball Adderley’s classic recording Somethin’ Else, celebrating the 70th anniversary of Blue Note Records with each of the festival headline concerts featuring current or past Blue Note artists.
Terence Blanchard will open the festival that is also scheduled to feature Casandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, McCoy Tyner along with many other musicians.
The Portland Jazz Festival begins on February 13th and ends on the 22nd. For further details you can visit their website, pdxjazz.com.
Rounding out the first quarter of the year will be the 19th Annual Berks Jazz Fest.
As always, jazz fans can expect a diverse array of acts, from smooth jazz to blues, with festival favorites from past years making their appearance once again, including Boney James, Rick Braun, Brian Culbertson, and Richard Elliot.
The festival will also feature the legendary David Benoit, Warren Hill, Peter White, Victor Wooten, Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Mindi Abair, Najee, Pieces of a Dream, Wayman Tisdale, Chuck Loeb, Jeff Kashiwa, Steve Cole, Kim Waters, Jeff Golub, Jonathan Butler and many others.
The 19th Annual Berks Jazz Fest runs from March 27th through April 5th. For more information you can visit their website, berksjazzfest.com.
Adachi Kumi Club Pangeaea - Winners (Video Arts Japan )
Amanda Tosoff - Wait And See (CLF )
Amanda Tosoff - Wait & See (Cellar Live )
Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band - Bird Head Son (Pid )
Antonio Carlos Jobin - Stone Flower (Cti Records )
Archie Shepp - Blase (Byg Actuel )
Arhcie Shepp - Yasmina A Black Woman (Byg Actuel )
Artie Shaw - Complete Spotlight Band Broa (Hep )
Artie Shaw - Complete Spotlight Band 1945 Broadcasts (Hep )
Artie Shaw - The Complete Spotlight Band 1945 Broadcasts (Hep )
Bad Plus - For All I Care (Heads Up )
Bennie Wallace - In Berlin (Pid )
Beverly Kenney - Born To Be Blue (Verve Japan )
Beverly Kenney - Sings For Playboys (Verve Japan )
Bill Gerhardt - All That I Have (Steeplechase )
Bill Gerhardt - School Of Tristano 3 (Steeplechase )
Blue Note 7 - Mosaic: A Celebration Of (Emm/Blue Note )
Blue Note 7 - Mosaic: A Celebration Of Blue Note Records (Blue Note )
Bodurov Trio - Stamps From Bulgaria 2008 (Pid )
Bonnie Guitar - Moonlight And Shadows (Verve Japan )
Brian McCree - Changes In The Wind (Accurate )
Bugge Wesseltoft - Playing (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Carl Perkins - Fabulous Carl Perkins (Primo/Traditions Alive )
Carmen McRae - Torchy! (Verve Japan )
Celine Rudolph - Brazaventure (Pid )
Charles Langford - That's Wassup (Blue Canoe )
Charles Langford - Thats Wassup (Blue Canoe/Select-O )
Charlie Mariano - Silver Blue (Enj )
Charlie Rouse - Bossa Nova (Blue Note )
Cherry / Vasco / Walcott - Codona Trilogy (UMGD/UNIVERSAL )
Cherry / Vasco / Walcott - Cordona Trilogy (UMGD/UNIVERSAL )
Dave Bennett - Celebrates 100 Years Of Benn (Arbors )
Dave Bennett - Celebrates 100 Years Of Benny (Arbors )
Dave Holland - Pass It On (Emarcy / Umgd )
Debbie Reynolds - Fine And Dandy (Verve Japan )
Don Byas - Best Of Byas: 1938 - 1949 (Acrobat )
Don Cherry - Cordona Trilogy (ECM )
Don Cherry - The Codona Trilogy (ECM )
Dorothy Collins - Picnic (Verve Japan )
Dusko Goykovich - Samba Tzigane (Enja )
Dutch Jazz Orchestra - Moon Dreams: Rediscovered Mu (Challenge )
Dutch Jazz Orchestra - Moon Dreams (Pid )
Eddie Palmieri - Sun Of Latin Music (Coco )
Eine Kleine Jazzmusik - Our Love Is Here To Stay (Membran )
Eliane Elias - Bossa Nova Stories (Emd Int'L )
Ella Fitzgerald - Songs In A Mellow Mood (Verve Japan )
Eric Rasmussen - Songs Of Their Times (Steeplechase )
Ernestine Anderson - Runnin Wild (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Eydie Gorme - Eydie In Love (Verve Japan )
Eydie Gorme - Love Is A Season (Verve Japan )
Fitzgerald & Peterson - Ella And Oscar (Verve Japan )
Franco Ambrosetti - Light Breeze (Universal Japan )
Gianluigi Trovesi - Profumo Di Violetta (Umgd/Ecm )
Gianluigi Trovesi - Profumo Di Violetta (Trovesi All'opera) (Umgd/Ecm )
Greg Reitan - Some Other Time (Sunny Side )
Greg Reiten - Some Other Time (Sunny Side )
Harry James & His Orchestra - On The Radio: 1944-1945 (Acrobat )
Hendrik Meurkens - Samba To Go! (Zoho Music )
Hendrik Meurkens - Samba To Go (Zoho Music )
Herbie Hancock / Wayne Shorter - Adam's Apple (Blue Note )
Humvee - Humvee (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Jackie Mcclean - Action (Blue Note )
Jackie Mcclean - Capuchin Swing (Blue Note )
Jam Session 27 - Jam Session Vol. 28 (Steeplechase )
Jam Session 28 - All That I Have (Steeplechase )
Jane Morgan - Fascination The Ultimate Collection (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Janet Brace - Special Delivery (Verve Japan )
Jeri Southern - Southern Style (Verve Japan )
Jeri Southern - Prelude To A Kiss (Verve Japan )
Jobic Le Masson - Hill (Tokuma Japan Comm. )
John Coltrane - Settin Pace (Universal Japan )
John Stubblefield - Countin' On The Blues (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Joshua Redman - Compass (Nonesuch )
Laetitia Van Krieken - Windfall (Challenge )
Laetitia van Krieken Big Ban - Windfall (Challenge )
Liederjan - Prost Franz! (Membran )
Louis Prima - On The Radio: Early 50S Transcriptions (Acrobat )
Margaret Whiting - Margaret (Verve Japan )
Mark O'Connor - Live In New York (OMAC )
Michael Petrucciani - Complete Dreyfus Jazz Recordings (Dreyfus Music )
Miles Davis - Cookin With The Quintet (Prestige )
Miles Davis - Bags Groove (Universal Japan )
Miles Davis - Get Up With It (Phantom Sound & Vision )
MT Hood Jazz Band & Combos - Doin Best Deeds (Sea Breeze Vista )
MT Hood Jazz Band & Combos - Doin' The Best Deeds (Sea Breeze Vista )
Mt. Hood Jazz Band & Combos - Doin' The Best Deeds (Sea Breeze )
Negra Pimienta - Orquesta De Jazz Antiguo (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Oneness Of Juju - African Rhythms (Black Fire )
Oscar Peterson - Hello Herbie (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - We Get Requests (Universal )
Oscar Peterson - Trio (Verve Japan )
Oscar Peterson - And Dizzy Gillespie (Verve Japan )
Oscar Peterson - At The Montreux Jazz 75 (Verve Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Jam - Montreux '77 (Verve Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Digital At Montreux '79 (Verve Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Nigerian Marketplace (Verve Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Canadiana Suite (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Eloquence (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - With Respect To Nat (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Blues Etude (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Trio: Live From Chicago (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Plays (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Affinity (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - At The Stratford Sha (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Vol 1 (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Way I Really Play (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - My Favorite Instrument (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - Girl Talk (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson - In Tune (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson & Count Basie - Count Basie Encounters Oscar Peterson (Verve Japan )
Oscar Peterson & Milt Jackson - Very Tall (Universal Japan )
Oscar Peterson & Stephane Grapelli - Skol (Verve Japan )
Pat Kirby - What Is Thing Called Love (Verve Japan )
Paul Whiteman - Whiteman/Paul (Phantom Sound & Vision )
Peggy Lee - Dream Street (Verve Japan/Zoom )
Peter Bernstein - Monk (Xanadu )
Pharoah Sanders - Live (Teresa )
Pierre Dorge & New Jungle Orchestra - Whispering Elephants (Steeplechase )
Professor Longhair - Primo Collection (Primo )
Ravi Coltrane - Blending Times (Savoy Jazz )
Ron Hockett Quintet - Finally Ron (Arbors )
Singer Hal & Jef Gilson - Soul Of Africa (Kindred Spirits )
Soesja Citroen - Collected Songs (Challenge )
Steve Kuhn - Life's Backward Glance (UMGD/UNIVERSAL )
Steve Kuhn - Life's Backward Glances (UMGD/UNIVERSAL )
Sun Ra - Sound Of Joy (Delmark )
Teddi King - All The Kings' Songs (Verve Japan )
Teddy Wilson - Jumpin' For Joy (Membran )
Toots Thielemans - Jazz Olympics (Amg Records )
Toots Thielemans / and more - Jazz Olympics (FGL )
Toots Thielemans / and more - Jazz Olympics [1 CD] (FGL )
Univ. of Louisville Open Wor - Jazz Connection (Sea Breeze )
University Of Louisville Open World All Stars - Jazz Connection (Sea Breeze Vista )
Various Artists - Buddha Sounds V.2: The Arabic Dream (Pmb )
Various Artists - Cartography (Pmb )
Wayne Shorter - All Seeing Eye (Blue Note )
Willie Colon - Cosa Nuestra (Fania / Umgd )
Yom - New King Of Klezmer Clarinet (Buda France )
Reissues
Andrews Sisters - Best of Anthology (Master Classic Series)
Art Pepper - No Limit (Pid )
Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit (Jazz World)
Carmen McRae - Book Of Ballads (Universal Japan )
Eric Dolphy - Out To Lunch (EMI )
John Coltrane - Soultrane (Fantasy)
Lester Young - Lester Young (Centurion)
Lou Donaldson - Alligator Bogaloo (EMI )
Oscar Peterson - Soul Espanol (Universal)
Oscar Peterson - Night Train (Verve (Japan))
Oscar Peterson - Oscar Peterson Trio (Delta Music Ltd. (UK) )
Oscar Peterson - Plays Count Basie (Verve (USA) )
Oscar Peterson - West Side Story (Universal Japan )
Peggy Lee - Black Coffee (Verve)
Sonny Rollins - Plays For Bird (Fantasy Records (USA) )
Wayne Shorter - Night Dreamer (EMI )
Guitarist Richard Smith is one of the most prolific and popular veterans of Contemporary Jazz. Each of his 10 solo discs has reached the top of the charts, while garnering awards such as Best New Artist (Radio & Records Magazine) and Best Album of the Year (Tune Up Magazine).
Two and a half years in the making, The L.A. CHILLHARMONIC brings some of Smiths high profile L.A. based peers together under one jumping, moving, and soulful roof. This all-star collaboration creates a quintessential L.A. vibe, meticulously crafted songs, and an uncompromising 9-piece horn section stacked with the best and brightest players around. Joining Richard on his Artistry Music debut are Greg Adams, Alex Acuña, Brian Bromberg, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gregg Karukas, Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal, Michael Paulo and Patrice Rushen.
Certain exceptional musical matches are unquestionably made in Heaven. The day that ubiquitous keyboard journeyman, and PRA Records recording artist, Joe Sample arrived at the studio to lend his distinctive piano touch to singer extraordinaire Randy Crawford's debut album "Everything Must Change" in 1976, one of the finest pairings in contemporary jazz was born.
Off and on through the years, these soul mates have made sweet music together - from the now classic "Street Life," which Randy sang with Joe's group The Crusaders, to Randy's own album "Now We May Begin," for which Joe was a co-producer. These stellar guest appearances eventually led to the inevitable: a duo project as co-headliners.
March 24, 2009 will see the release of Joe Sample and Randy Crawford's second album of collaborations titled "No Regrets." It's the much anticipated follow-up to their first such collection in 2006, Grammy(R) nominated "Feeling Good," which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and paved the way for a successful string of tours around the world.
"No Regrets" promises to lean in more of a soulful direction, featuring both remakes of R&B classics such as Aretha Franklin's "Today I Sing The Blues" and The Staple Singers' "Respect Yourself," plus other songs from across the eras done in a jazzy-soul style; such as the legendary Edith Piaf chestnut "No Regrets" to contemporary pop singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan's "Angel."
Sample states, "Randy and I wanted to keep this recording on more of the rhythm and blues side. And, as always, we wanted to pick songs that nobody else records."
The result is a collection of music that sets and sustains a laid back late night groove - a time and space where the listener can do just that - relax and really listen to Joe and Randy's custom made takes on everything from blues great Bobby Blue Bland's "Lead Me On" to Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Randy Newman's poignant "Just One Smile"; the latter of which significantly impressed Mr. Newman, who told his old friend Mr. LiPuma personally. Key to setting this mood is the returning rhythm section of world class veterans Steve Gadd on drums and Christian McBride on bass - ultra sensitive sidemen who provide the music with precisely what it requires and nothing more.
This fantastically laid foundation brings out the very best in Miss Randy Crawford for 11 soul-stirring performances. One London Times reviewer marveled at how after 30 plus years her voice still retains such "youth and power." Sample proudly describes her succinctly as "an American treasure."
Joe Sample and Randy Crawford's No Regrets is a top shelf sample of masters at play.
Keyboardist, composer, and producer Jeff Lorber has gotten a great response from fans to his latest CD, Heard That. Most of the tracks on the project were recorded live, with musicians in the same room. That doesn't always happen these days, when studio time is expensive and the top musicians don't always live in the same city.
Many musicians record their parts on mp3 files and send them to the producer over the Internet to be mixed together. Lorber says he prefers live recording not only for the sound of it, but because there's more room to improvise.
Asked about file-sharing production, he told us: "To be honest I don't like it as much as being in the room with people. Because the thing about trading files, I mean, it can be OK if the person that you're sending it to is a good producer and a good musician and also they have like sort of production sense where they can kind of edit themselves and produce themselves to make sure that what they're doing really fits perfectly."
Lorber added that while it may seem expensive to record live, it often saves time: "The thing is if you're in a room with somebody and you're recording, you can have hundreds of interactions where you're saying, oh, you know, can you play more, can you play less, can you play faster, slower, or higher, lower, whatever, you know. When you do it with files over the Internet, every one of those interactions can take hours, days, or (laughs) whatever." whatever.)
Lorber is preparing to set sail January 18th from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on the Smooth Music Cruise with host Wayman Tisdale.
On 21 and 22 February, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck will perform two shows together at Saitama Super Arena in Japan. It is the first-time the two men have appeared together in their storied musical careers on a double-bill of this nature. Information on the format of the concerts is currently not available.
Over the years, both Eric Clapton ahd Jeff Beck have shared the stage at a number of "one-offs" including The Secret Policeman's Ball for Amnesty International (1981) and the ARMS Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall in 1983. Jeff Beck also was a guest performer at both of Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festivals in 2004 and 2007. Most recently, Eric returned the favour by joining Jeff on stage at his run of shows at Ronnie Scott's Club in London in November 2007.
Both musicians will be on solo tours of Japan during February 2009. These two special concerts at the Saitama Super Arena will be their only joint appearances.
In her upcoming CD, Krazy Love, Luba executes a “cool, Brazilian mood” with an intimate acoustic sound. Enhanced by well-known Brazilian musician Renato Neto on piano & keyboards (also pianist for the legendary musician, Prince), Luba is joined by top-notch bassist Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets), percussionist Cassio Duarte, Sandro Albert on guitar and Marco Costa on drums, with guest performances by the world renowned Hubert Laws as well as her husband, Latin great Ruben Blades.
Today Blue Note Records celebrates its 70th birthday. The label was born on January 6, 1939 when a young jazz fan named Alfred Lion recorded two of his favorite boogie-woogie pianists at a New York studio. That first session (Albert Ammons and Meade Lux Lewis - The First Day) proved to be the start of an illustrious history that continues to this day.
Over the course of its seven decades in business, Blue Note has recorded virtually every major figure in modern jazz, from pioneers like Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane to contemporary masters like Wynton Marsalis and Joe Lovano.
On January 13, Blue Note Records will commemorate the label's 70th anniversary with the release of Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records, an eight-song collection of classic Blue Note repertoire re-envisioned by The Blue Note 7, an all-star septet comprising pianist, musical director, and current Blue Note recording artist Bill Charlap with trumpeter Nicholas Payton, tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, alto saxophonist/flutist Steve Wilson, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash.
Note: The amazon.com link above is for a 2CD amazon exclusive.
Read more about Blue Note Records at allaboutjazz.com
Two-time Grammy award winner and 16-time Grammy nominee INDIA.ARIE returns with her 4th career album, Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics, marking the return of her signature brand of "acoustic soul." Testimony: Vol. 2 was produced by India.Arie, Novel (produced India.Aries's "Purify Me" for Tyler Perry soundtrack), Dru Castro, and more. This album is the follow up to Arie's 2006 album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life and Relationship, which debuted at #1 on Billboard Top 200 in 06.
We don't got to show you no stinking iceman's tongs By Carol Archer radioandrecords.com
Narada artist saxophonist Euge Groove responds to the following Notable Quote from ArtistShare president Brian Camelio: "Just like ice men lost their jobs with the advent of the first electric refrigerator, businesses that depend on selling recorded music, sadly, no longer have a product to sell, because music is easily obtained for free via illegal downloading.
Groove writes: "It implies that the record companies are being rendered obsolete like the 'ice man's' job due to a new invention and labels, artists, writers and publishers just need to move on. While the new invention, Internet distribution, has changed the way labels distribute, the ice men didn't have their ice stolen. That's a huge difference. Brian's quote implies that it's the record companies' fault for not moving on.
"I don't think it all falls there. When the labels, publishers, music rights groups, etc., all tried to shut down the stealing with both DRM and shutting sites down in the courts, the courts shut down the labels. Demanding everything from refunds and restitution to consumers whose discs had protective software, to letting companies like Napster continue to exist while the cases were being tried. At the real heart of it was a President who chose not to do his job by protecting copy- written intellectual property. It is indeed the President's job to enforce our laws. Congress makes them and Judicial declares them constitutional. In a time of industry bailouts, which perpetuates the notion that 'Americans don't make anything anymore,' this situation is even more sad. Music and art, in general, is one thing that we make quite well. Hopefully, the new administration will realize this and do [its] job of enforcing the laws already on the books. Then the music industry can get back to making what it makes best -- great music."
I’m in a crush in a Dublin pub around New Year’s. Glasses clinking clicking, clashing crashing in Gaelic revelry: swinging doors, sweethearts falling in and out of the season’s blessings, family feuds subsumed or resumed. Malt joy and ginger despair are all in the queue to be served on this, the quarter-of-a-millennium mark since Arthur Guinness first put velvety blackness in a pint glass. 
