Johnny Mandel News

Jackie Draper and her musicians, along with her dance partner, will blast the blues with songs in English and French, on Thursday, October 24 at 7 PM at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Draper's musical team is Music Director Gregory Toroian at the piano, Robbyn Tongue on woodwinds and Frank Wagner on bass, with guest artist/dancer Milo Saidl. Kimberly Vaughn directs.

Sam Moore and Dave Prater – the groundbreaking duo, Sam & Dave, who brought their gospel roots to Soul music, were one of the primary chart stars at the Stax and Atlantic labels in the '60s. Bringing the passion of call and response to their wailing soul side, the duo were honored by The Recording Academy as one of the recipients of the Special Merit Awards, The Lifetime Achievement Award in May in Los Angeles.

When Paul Francis Weber and Johnny Mandel created 'The Shadow of Your Smile' for the 1965 film The Sandpiper, they may not have known that the beautiful piece would go on as an American Classic. First, Tony Bennett lent his acclaimed vocals and led the song to win Song of the Year at the 1966 Grammy Awards and Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. Throughout the decades, artists have tackled the classic, and now, Korean artist Elli K lends her breathtakingly subdued vocals to recreate the intense feelings of parting love.

In collaboration with PBS' 'Great Performances' series, the Recording Academy presents 'GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®,' the fourth annual all-star concert offering a primetime spotlight for the Academy's 2019 Special Merit Awards recipients. Recorded in May at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre, the event premieres nationwide Friday, Oct. 18 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings),pbs.org/gperf and the PBS Video app.

Last year, when Drama Desk Award Winner and Tony Nominee, Saycon Sengbloh, was in Dallas, she joined us for a mini-set at the Opening night of the Dallas Cabaret Festival.  This year, Ms. SENGBLOH returns to headline the  4th Annual Dallas Cabaret Festival!!  An accomplished performer of song, stage and screen, she comes back to close out the Festival the way she brought it in last year a?' with a BANG!

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

Birdland Jazz Club announces July 2019 Schedule featuring Veronica Swift with the Emmet Cohen Trio, Freddy Cole Quartet, Steve Smith's Groove Blue Organ Trio, John Pizzarelli: Two-week engagement, Nancy Kelly, Konrad Paszkudzki and Pasquale Grasso, Lew Tabackin Trio, Michael Wolff Trio, Laura Osnes, Alyssa Allgood Quartet, Ladybugs, The Lineup with Susie Mosher, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more.

For her 4th CD release, vocalist/violinist Calabria Foti wanted to do an album like her vocal heroes Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, and Nat “King” Cole did back in the day; that is, with a big orchestra and legendary arrangers on the podium in an iconic Hollywood recording studio. Ms. Foti says, “This is the most expansive project I have ever done, and at the same time, it's the most intimate and personal. I recorded at Capitol Records with a full orchestra, singing some of the most endearing, sentimental songs ever written, all for my loved ones. This album is a full-production tear-jerker!”

Resonance Records discovery Polly Gibbons, a British-born star on the rise, has a sound and style that give off sparks. It's raw, raspy, and full of heat; it sputters and growls, carves out funky grooves, and wails into the skies. All I Can Do, her third Resonance release, the label's founder George Klabin, places Gibbons in front of an audience, where she's at her most explosive.

The Recording Academy will honor its 2019 Special Merit Awards recipients with 'GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®,' an awards ceremony and live tribute concert on Saturday, May 11, 2019, at Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Black Sabbath, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Eckstine, Donny Hathaway, Julio Iglesias, Sam & Dave, and Dionne Warwick. Lou Adler, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, and Johnny Mandel are Trustees Award honorees; and Saul Walker is the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipient. Also being honored is Jeffery Redding, this year's recipient of the Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum®. Led by GRAMMY®-nominated industry icon Greg Phillinganes as musical director, the tribute concert will feature rare performances by honorees and never-seen renditions by those they've inspired. Currently scheduled to appear are Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Clinton; GRAMMY winner Bootsy Collins, who will salute Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic; five-time GRAMMY winner Lalah Hathaway and Kenya Hathaway, who will pay tribute to their father Donny; past Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Johnny Mathis, who will honor Warwick; Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Sam Moore;two-time GRAMMY winner Gregory Porter, who will pay tribute to Eckstine; Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Simpson; past GRAMMY nominee Snoop Dogg, who will salute Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic; and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Warwick. Presenters for the evening will include GRAMMY winners Cheech & Chong. Additional performers and presenters will be announced shortly. Tickets for the event will be on sale via a Ticketmaster pre-sale, beginning today at 10 a.m. PT. The password to access the pre-sale is LEGENDS.

Resonance Records discovery Polly Gibbons, a British-born star on the rise, has a sound and style that give off sparks. It's raw, raspy, and full of heat; it sputters and growls, carves out funky grooves, and wails into the skies. All I Can Do, her third Resonance release, the label's founder George Klabin, places Gibbons in front of an audience, where she's at her most explosive.

Jackie Draper and Repeal the Blues returns to the Laurie Beechman Theatre, on Sunday, March 24th at 1:00 PM and Thursday, April 11th at 7:00 PM. Draper will perform in song and dance, in English and French, to banish the blues. Composers and lyricists presented include Charles Aznavour, Irving Berlin, Cy Coleman, Dietz & Schwartz, the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Michele Legrand, Lieber & Stoller, Johnny Mandel and many more.

Five Boroughs Music Festival (5BMF) presents Les Delices in their new program, Songs Without Words, in two concerts:

Five Boroughs Music Festival (5BMF) presents Les Delices in their new program, Songs Without Words, in two concerts:

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

Sam Moore and Dave Prater – the Soul duo Sam & Dave which were one of the primary chart stars at the Stax and Atlantic labels in the '60s, bringing the passion of gospel to their wailing soul side – were announced today by The Recording Academy as one of the recipients of the Special Merit Awards, The Lifetime Achievement Award. A special award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held on May 11, 2019, in Los Angeles. Additional details regarding the ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Recording Academy announced today its Special Merit Awards recipients. This year's Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Black Sabbath, George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic, Billy Eckstine, Donny Hathaway, Julio Iglesias, Sam & Dave, and Dionne Warwick. Lou Adler, Ashford & Simpson, and Johnny Mandel are Trustees Award honorees; and Saul Walker is the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipient. A special award presentation ceremony and concert celebrating the honorees will be held on May 11, 2019, in Los Angeles. Additional details regarding the ceremony will be announced in the coming weeks.

There's a Theme Park of music happening on 44th street and no matter what gate you choose to enter at Birdland great music is playing behind every door. You can spend a good portion of your night shuttling between the historic Birdland Stage and the new Birdland Theater with their line up of shows.

Vivian Lee is a musical raconteur. An evocative vocal instrument and impressive technique are certainly part of her package, but the jazz singers we prize are musical storytellers. On “Let's Talk About Love,” Vivian Lee spins eleven memorable tales. Ms. Lee and her musical collaborators, including pianists Brenden Lowe and Joe Gilman, bassist Buca Necak, and drummer Jeff Minnieweather, offer the type of cohesive, group interplay that only comes from playing together on a consistent basis. When that happens, it's as if the musicians are breathing in sync. Accordingly, the rhythm section provides the perfect magic carpet for Ms. Lee's musical peregrinations. She has been recognized as one of the premiere jazz artists in Sacramento and this recording shows why audiences so appreciate her talent. 

Birdland Jazz Club will present New York, Old Friend-The Songs of Ken Laub, a celebration of the sights, scenes and relationships in New York City, for one night only as part of the "Broadway at Birdland" concert series, on Monday, June 25, 2018 @7pm.