Alluring mix of mid-century jazz & photography comes to Northridge
October 23 is as good a day as any, no better, to trek to the deep San Fernando Valley. On that Sunday, the campus of Cal State University, Northridge, will be super alive in an extraordinary double-bill highlighting the best of African-American art. [slideshow id=38] Featured photographers: Roland Charles, Willie Middlebrook, Jack Davis, Calvin Hick ...
Bad boys of Lula’s China tour: Marcus Miller & Freedom Jazz Movement
Marcus Miller – Drums Kamasi Washington – Tenor Sax Ardom Belton – Upright Bass Mahesh Balasooriya – Piano Last June, I had the unspeakable joy of being the writer on the bus of Lula Washington Dance Theater’s three-week tour of China, primarily in Henan Province. It was a spectacular, gargantuan life experience. What added art ...
Freedom Jazz Movement @ Henan Province’s SIAS University
A slight nip in an otherwise balmy late-spring Chinese evening gave an edge to the polished set the Los Angeles-based jazz quartet, Freedom Jazz Movement, laid down at SIAS University in Henan Province tonight. The show took place at the privately owned university’s Roman-style outdoor amphitheater. Four exceptional musicians, delivering a suite of band leader ...
Monk lives … at UCLA
Apr
20
2011
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 ...
Let’s learn more about Sonny Rollins
Mar
7
2011
Video tracks four historic Prestige recordings between Miles Davis and Rollins, who accepted the 2010 National Award of Arts from President Obama last week.
My country ’tis of thee … of thee I sing!
Mar
5
2011
We just loved seeing a creative American like Sonny Rollins honored in the White House. That’s the way it should be every day, not once a year. More arts, education, and humanities in our country! Here, the great jazz saxophonist accepts 2010 National Medal of Arts from President Obama. What a moment! “I’m very happy ...
Honoring America’s greats: National Medal of Arts
President Obama this morning honored some of our nation’s great artists in a ceremony at the White House. Receiving the 2010 National Medal of Arts were Robert Brustein, the theater producer and critic; Van Cliburn, the pianist; Mark di Suvero, the abstract expressionist sculptor; poet Donald Hall; and the pioneering dance organization, Jacob’s Pillow Dance ...
Duke Ellington’s polished “Satin Doll” 1
Feb
18
2011
Note the beat-up bass Aaron Bell solos on! Personnel: Ray Nance, Shorty Baker, Cat Anderson, Bill Berry, Ed Mullens (t), Lawrence Brown, Leon Cox, Chuck Connors (tb), Russell Procope, Johnny Hodges (as), Paul Gonsalves (ts), Jimmy Hamilton (cl, ts), Harry Carney (bars), Duke Ellington (p), Aaron Bell (b), Sam Woodyard (d). NYC, Jan 9, 1962. ...
Herb & Lani’s Latin-infused jazz at “Vibrato” 1
Feb
15
2011
“It’s what Miles said about me, which is really touching, ‘You hear three notes and you know it’s Herb Alpert.’ Well, you hear one note and you know it’s Miles. He won!” So says the modest and artistic Herb Alpert, musician, painter, sculptor, and arts philanthropist, at the end of an interview on a CBS morning program ...
Satchmo blesses Herb Alpert with Blessing trumpet
Dec
17
2010
On November 10 the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation presented the first “Satchmo Award” to recording legend Herb Alpert. The award was presented to Alpert at the Newark Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey, during a WBGO jazz-radio gala. Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater acted as master of ceremonies. The Satchmo award recognizes Alpert”s contributions to ...