Charlie Parker News

Birdland will kick-off their great week of programming with the following acts:

Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with the following acts:

Jazzmobile once again partners with Central Park Conservancy to present GREAT JAZZ ON THE GREAT HILL (GJGH), this Saturday, August 10, 4:00 - 7:00 pm on the Great Hill, 106th Street & Central Park West. Don't miss trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, the all-female jazz and blues ensemble Sage, award-winning jazz vocalist Alyson Williams(the GJGH Mistress of Ceremony) and the dynamic Harlem Renaissance Orchestra.

City Parks Foundation's SummerStage is proud to announce the 27th Anniversary celebration of the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival. In the world of modern music, few figures loom as large or cast as long a shadow as saxophonist Charlie 'Bird' Parker, celebrated as a bebop pioneer and for bringing jazz into the modern era.

Harlem based band Mwenso & The Shakes' debut album, Emergence, is out now viaRopeadope Records. The new music is receiving early critical praise—JAZZIZ calls the group, “…a unique troupe of global artists presenting music that merges entertainment and artistry” while WBGO.org furthers, “Not many bands in the orbit of jazz today can begin to approach the crowd-pleasing threshold of Mwenso & The Shakes.” ALL ARTS presented by New York Public Media adds, “The music doled out by Mwenso and The Shakes is effusive, overflowing with elements of classical jazz, blues, world music and tap. When played live, this amalgam of ideas and musical references has garnered the spiritual jazz-outfit with a reputation for energetic sets and genre-pushing inventions.” 

New York Youth Symphony (NYYS), is proud to continue its mission of educating and inspiring young musicians through its Orchestra, Jazz, Chamber Music, Composition, Musical Theater Composition, Apprenticeship Conducting, and First Music commissioning programs. This season includes seven world premieres of new works commissioned through the First Music program, composed for the Orchestra, Jazz, and Chamber Music ensembles. The season also features renowned and up-and-coming soloists including prodigy pianist Harmony Zhu, 2019 Sphinx Competition winner cellist Sterling Elliott, and leading young pianist Michelle Cann in the Carnegie Hall premiere of Florence Price's recently re-discovered Piano Concerto in One Movement with NYYS Orchestra, as well as in-demand drummer Matt Wilson, celebrated saxophonist Steve Wilson, and trombone virtuoso Wycliffe Gordon with NYYS Jazz. The complete NYYS 2019-2020 concert calendar follows at the end of this press release.

I don't know if Benny Goodman “The King of Swing” ever performed at the original Birdland on Broadway at 52nd Street which was more known for the Bebop Jazz of Charlie Parker. However, his music was gloriously celebrated last night by John Pizzarelli and his special guest Clarinetist Ken Peplowski at the current Birdland on 44th Street. The link to the past was firmly established by the extraordinary artistry of Pizzarelli and Peplowski as they toured the Benny Goodman Songbook. The link was also established by the many stories both had about Benny Goodman. Ken Peplowski played in Benny's last band, and John's father Bucky was also was a featured guitarist with Goodman. In fact as John in his “Bucky Voice” recounted a funny story, when he was a youngster tagging along with Bucky John even got to strum a few notes for Benny Goodman until Bucky said “come on kid we gotta get home”! It was all smiles and happy swing music last night as John Pizzarelli and his trio with Ken Peplowski filled Birdland with great music and great conversation. The tradition of exceptional music continues at 'The Jazz Corner of The World”

Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House invites audiences to embrace a sense of adventure with a new season of music, theater, exhibitions, film, book launches, special events, and community programs this August to December.

Harlem based band Mwenso & The Shakes' debut album, Emergence, is set for release on August 2 via Ropeadope Records. The band's new single, “No Regrets,” premieres on JAZZIZ, who calls the group, “…a unique troupe of global artists presenting music that merges entertainment and artistry.” 

Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with John Pizzarelli: A Tribute to Benny Goodman, Dee Dee Bridgewater, David Matthews Trio, The Count Basie Orchestra, Charlie Parker Birthday Celebration, Chris Byars Original Sextet, Nicki Parrott, Gunhild Carling, Ken Peplowski and Diego Figueiredo, Birdography: Celebrating Charlie Parker, Lorin Cohen, Sam Behr, Laila Biali, Carole J. Bufford, The Lineup with Susie Mosher, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more!

Director of Soho Estates Fawn James and Artistic Director Rachel Edwards together announce the opening programme for the Boulevard as the newly-reimagined venue opens its doors to the public for the first time in October 2019. The first show will be the London premiere of Dave Malloy's celebrated song cycle Ghost Quartet brought to life by the team behind the recent hit production of Sweeney Todd which won great acclaim in London and New York. Ghost Quartet will run alongside a packed roster of late-night and Sunday performances of cabaret, improv, jazz, comedy, classical music and poetry. The Boulevard Theatre's 2020 season will be announced in September.

Jazzmobile Inc. and Harlem Jazz Enterprises have entered into a new partnership to present live music at the iconic Minton's Playhouse jazz club, 206 West 118th Street, in Harlem. This open-ended residency will begin on Independence Day with pianist Nat Adderley, Jr. and will continue every Thursday evening with a world-class jazz band. The Summer lineup will be announced at the opening celebration on July 4.

Director of Soho Estates Fawn James and Artistic Director Rachel Edwards together announce the opening programme for the Boulevard as the newly-reimagined venue opens its doors to the public for the first time in October 2019. The first show will be the London premiere of Dave Malloy's celebrated song cycle Ghost Quartet brought to life by the team behind the recent hit production of Sweeney Todd which won great acclaim in London and New York. Ghost Quartet will run alongside a packed roster of late-night and Sunday performances of cabaret, improv, jazz, comedy, classical music and poetry. The Boulevard Theatre's 2020 season will be announced in September.

Con un viaje a través de la historia del jazz, los músicos Joyce Tafoya e Ian Franco, alumnos de la Escuela Superior de Música del Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes y Literatura, ofrecieron una tarde de melodías en la Casa Venustiano Carranza del Complejo Cultural de Los Pinos el pasado fin de semana.

City Parks Foundation is thrilled to announce the 2019 season of Capital One City Parks Foundation SummerStage, New York City's largest free outdoor performing arts festival, bringing nearly 100 free and benefit shows to Central Park and 17 neighborhood parks throughout the five boroughs. This year's festival will showcase 200 renowned artists and rising stars from around the world to local neighborhood parks, presenting distinctly New York genres -- salsa, jazz, and hip-hop -- alongside indie, reggae, Afrobeat, soul, contemporary dance, and much more. View the official SummerStage 2019 season announce video here.

Rosie Lowe has unveiled the beautiful new song “Mango” today – the next taste of her acclaimed second album YU, released this Friday (May 10) onWolf Tone. Cosmic, dreamy and sensual, “Mango” turns the Adam & Eve story on its head: rather than depicting a tale of temptation and sin, here is Eve – in charge, and in control - attempting to persuade Adam to give into her needs instead. Revealed with a live visual, “Mango” is another fascinating glimpse of Rosie Lowe's second album, YU: a record that – amongst other things - asks questions about love, faith, and the compatibility between the two.

The Atlanta Opera broke new records this season. Even before its final presentation Francesca Zambello's new take on La traviata, which closed this past weekend 2018-19 was already guaranteed to be the company's highest-grossing season of the past decade, highlighted by last fall's West Side Story, the highest-selling production in the Atlanta Opera's 39-year history (Opera News).

To celebrate the official kick-off of Summer, Theater for the New City (Crystal Field, EXECUTIVE Artistic Director) will host the 24th Annual LOWER EAST SIDE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS, a FREE Summer Arts Festivals HOSTED BY Theater for the New City (155 First Ave. at 10th St.). The festival will take place over Memorial Day Weekend, May 24 - 26, 2019 from 6pm - MIDNIGHT and will feature theater, music, art, dance, video, film, aerial arts, poetry, magic and comedy with over 270 performances, OVER 70 GROUPS, over the course of the weekend.  For the full list of performers and schedule please, visit www.theaterforthenewcity.net or call 212-254-1109.

UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance (CAP UCLA) today unveiled the 2019-20 season lineup honoring "We, the People" -- as artists, performers, thought leaders, change-makers and spectators. CAP UCLA continues to bring bold programming from around the world to the Los Angeles community to advance social justice conversations through contemporary dance, music, theater, and literature.