By Bill Donaldson OMG Chick Corea is 70? Unbelievable. Has has the impishness, invention and grace of a wild-haired thirty-year-old. Obviously, Corea’s interests are wide-ranging, as documented by his weeks-long seventieth birthday celebration at the Blue Note in New York. During the month of November, 2011, Corea performed duos with …
By: Edward Blanco Venezuelan-born pianist Luis Perdomo has been a stalwart of the New York jazz scene since the early 90s and with Universal Mind—his fourth album as leader—accomplishes a dream he thought would never happen—recording with legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette. Perdomo had first heard the drummer’s work as a …
Glenn Astarita The band moniker alludes to a term used for a declining stock enjoying a brief recovery. But saxophonist Matt Steckler links this notion into “creative rebirth and renewal even as a time, tradition, and masters’ move on.” Therefore, the Boston-based sextet abides by conventional methods while injecting a …
Glenn Astarita Recorded May 4-17, 2010, at the historic Blue Note in New York City, this program is a baseline of sorts, framed on piano great Bill Evans’ interminable legacy. However, one of the differentiators here pertains to the respective artists’ signature voices. In other hands, a set like this …
By: Edward Blanco After a long history performing as a sideman on over 30 albums where he has recorded for such artists as Joe Locke, Alex Sipiagin, Brian Lynch, Wayne Escoffery, Hans Glawishing, and the Mingus Big Band among many others, drummer and composer Johnathan Blake finally releases an impressive …
GRAMMY-WINNING COMPOSER TERENCE BLANCHARD’S SCORE FOR LUCASFILM’S RED TAILS SET FOR RELEASE FEBRUARY 7TH Film is Golden-Globe nominated Composer’s 52nd film score and stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Terrence Howard, Ne-Yo and more Los Angeles, CA— The score for Lucasfilm’s RED TAILS by world-renowned film composer and musician Terence Blanchard, …
The general public is invited to the Les Brown Centennial Weekend in Tower City, PA on March 23 – 25. This year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Les’ birth. The Les Brown Dance is on Friday, March 23, 7:00 pm at Kevin’s Place in Lykens. It features 2 hours …
By: Edward Blanco Heartmony is Bulgarian-born guitarist Hristo Vitchev’s fourth album as leader and a constant on all of his music, is Brazilian-born Weber Ribeiro Drummond, a Latin Grammy-nominated classical jazz pianist who later changed his last name to Iago in honor of the Roma people (Gypsies). Both men are …
By: Edward Blanco Vocalist Sue Halloran and saxophonist Ken Hitchcock have spent decades in the music business with credits on Broadway, movies and TV, and for the most part doing so separately. Their paths have crossed only a few times with both being members of the New York Saxophone Quartet …
SAINT LUCIA (January 31, 2012) – Saint Lucia Jazz, now into its 21st year, will feature some of the best live performances from renowned local, regional and international superstars, with celebrated performer and multiple Grammy winner Lionel Richie headlining this year’s festival. The 2012 event, April 30 – May13, …
