Pharrell Williams “happy” to jam with Herbie Hancock

Fashion · Music
A highlight of last Sunday’s 2014 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition was pianist Herbie Hancock kicking it with Pharrell Williams, the massively popular young r&b vocalist and music producer. The duo reworked Williams’ percolating hit song “Happy” as a jazz arrangement. Williams won my approval with his cool fashion, his trademark chapeau by model-turned-hat-designer Nick ...

Bill Clinton, jazz guy

Music
First, an incredible “pick-up band” comprising Jimmy Heath, Joshua Redman and Wayne Shorter (saxophones), Stefon Harris (vibes), Jon Faddis (trumpet), Herbie Hancock (piano), James Genus (bass), TS Monk (drum) performed “Flying Home” in his honor. [It was played at his first inaugural ball.] Then Kevin Spacey imitated him, razor sharp. [“I love jazz,” drawled Spacey ...

Wayne Shorter, sax man, jazz giant, honored by L.A. Jazz Society

Music
Wayne Shorter, multiple Grammy Award winner, saxophonist and composer, is the 2012 Jazz Tribute honoree of the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s 29th annual Jazz Tribute Awards Dinner & Concert set for Sunday, October 21, 2012. Leonard Maltin will host the festivities and Herbie Hancock serves as honorary chair. LAJS 2012 Jazz Tribute awardees include Lifetime ...

Monk lives … at UCLA

Music
The Herb Alpert juggernaut of extraordinary arts philanthropy surges on the news that The Herb Alpert Foundation has  again spurred jazz education at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The school will join forces with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, a nonprofit organization devoted to jazz education now based in New Orleans. For ...