John Beasley News

This June and July, Carnegie Hall's critically-acclaimed national youth jazz orchestra-NYO Jazz-returns for its third season of extraordinary music-making, highlighted by its first-ever tour to South Africa from June 24-July 7, 2020. This remarkable ensemble, created by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute in 2018, annually brings together some of the most outstanding teen jazz musicians from across the United States to train, perform, and tour with some of the world's greatest artists while also serving as music ambassadors for their country.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced its 99th summer season at the Hollywood Bowl, showcasing a roster of world-class artists ranging from classical and pops to jazz, rock, and world music. The season features the return of legendary Bowl favorites, celebrated artists and conductors making their Bowl debuts, and the premieres of new LA Phil-commissioned works.

Last night during the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards broadcast, Facebook Watch released a brand new trailer for Limetown, the upcoming Original series starring Jessica Biel and Stanley Tucci. The series had its world premiere earlier this month as part of the Toronto International Film Festival and debuts with two episodes on Wednesday, October 16 at 12pmPT/3pmET on Facebook Watch.

Today Facebook Watch released the first official trailer and key art for Limetown, a brand-new series starring Jessica Biel and Stanley Tucci, in advance of its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Limetown will premiere with two episodes on Wednesday, October 16 at 12pmPT/3pmET on Facebook Watch. 

Jazz singer Mark Winkler has just released a new album on singer Bobby Troup and will do a CD release party at Feinstein's Upstairs at Vitello's on August 23. In our chat, Winkler talks about his background, his love for Troup, jazz and the overall world of music. Tell our readers about your background. Where are you from? How did you get interested in music, especially jazz?

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.

Facebook has always been a place to connect with friends and family, and more and more, a destination to find communities that share your interests. It's been particularly gratifying to see this play out so well in Facebook Watch - a platform that is quickly becoming a place where content and conversation organically come together.

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) announces its 2019/20 series, featuring empowering narratives from marginalized communities, vibrant exaltations of multiculturalism, and breathtaking musicality in the Chan Shun Concert Hall. Over the course of nine concerts, extraordinary talent from around the world will converge in Vancouver, including an icon of Americana, the height of jazz royalty, and a compelling Norwegian songstress. Also just announced is the 2019/20 Beyond Words series, featuring four heartrending interdisciplinary performances that affirm the importance of diversity in storytelling.

The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis announces its 18th season of performing arts, filled with the leading artists in music, dance and theater alongside an insightful group of speakers. The season begins on Sunday, September 29, with a family-friendly performance from gospel true-believers Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar and concludes June 7, 2020 with the Alexander String Quartet finishing a two-year cycle of the complete Shostakovich string quartets.

The Los Angeles Philharmonic announces its 98th summer season at the Hollywood Bowl. The Hollywood Bowl summer season features world-class artists ranging from classical and pops to jazz, rock, and world music including the world premiere of two new LA Phil-commissioned works plus a fully-staged Broadway musical.

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:

Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci (A Private War) will star opposite Jessica Biel in Limetown, Facebook Watch's 10-episode series. Oscar winner Marlee Matlin (Quantico), Emmy nominee Kelly Jenrette (The Handmaid's Tale), John Beasley (Shots Fired) and Louis Ferreira (Netflix's Travelers) also have been cast in the series, which is based on a podcast.

Smooth notes that sing, the beat of the drum that pulsates, and moan of emotion from the horn create the American-made music of jazz. Fans, devotees, and music lovers will relish The Jazz Eclectic Concert Series Vol. 4 to be performed at Myron's Cabaret in the Smith Center on Nov. 27.

AlternaJazz (Sparks & Shadows) today announced the upcoming release of a new album from singer-songwriter and multi-faceted artist Raya Yarbrough, 'North of Sunset, West of Vine.' The twelve song record will be available on CD through Amazon, and from all major digital retailers Friday, Oct. 5, 2018.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica presents pianist/composer/arranger John Beasley who will bring the smashing, four-time GRAMMY®-nominated big-band MONK'estra to The Broad Stage for the first time on Friday, October 12. Capturing the spirit of Thelonious Monk's singular music in fresh arrangements flavored with contemporary sounds that critics have called "some of the most mesmerizing big-band music of recent memory."

Isabella Rossellini's Link Link Circus, 7 Fingers' REVERSIBLE, The Reduced Shakespeare Company, Manual Cinema's Memento Mori; acclaimed jazz & blues artists Madeleine Peyroux, John Beasley, Billy Childs, The Stanley Clarke Band, Etienne Charles, Freddy Cole, Corey Harris & Guy Davis and the return of Hiromi: Solo; classical artists Vox Luminis, Olga Kern, Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Jeremy Denk, Lucia Micarelli; an Artist-in-Residence Series featuring violist Richard O'Neill; eclectic world artists Nobunto, Kinan Azmeh CityBand, Alash, Ranky Tanky and the return of David Broza; Kybele Dance Theater, Ballet Hispanico; diverse family programming featuring Pacifico Dance Company, Aaron Nigel Smith's Family Reggae Bash, and The Story Pirates; plus partnerships with Sotheby's Institute of Art - Los Angeles, KCRW, Red Hen Press and National Geographic Live are among over 40 attractions announced for the 2018-2019 Eli & Edythe Broad Stage at The Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center season. 

International Jazz Day 2018 came to a phenomenal close this evening in St. Petersburg, following an extraordinary All-Star Global Concert at the historic Mariinsky Theatre that capped off several days of educational outreach programs across the city. The concert, led by artistic co-directors Herbie Hancock (USA) and Igor Butman (Russia), was streamed live by the United Nations and UNESCO and on www.jazzday.com. It featured performances by an international roster of artists including Oleg Akkuratov (Russia), Till Brnner (Germany), Oleg Butman (Russia), Terri Lyne Carrington (USA), Joey DeFrancesco (USA), Fatoumata Diawara (Mali), Vadim Eilenkrig (Russia), Kurt Elling (USA),Antonio Fara (Italy), James Genus (USA), Robert Glasper (USA), David Goloschekin (Russia), Hassan Hakmoun (Morocco),Gilad Hekselman (Israel), Horacio Hernandez (Cuba), Taku Hirano (Japan), Anatoly Kroll (Russia), Gaoyang Li (China), Rudresh Mahanthappa (USA), The Manhattan Transfer (USA), Branford Marsalis (USA), James Morrison (Australia), Moscow Jazz Orchestra (Russia), Makoto Ozone (Japan), Danilo Prez (Panama), Dianne Reeves (USA), Lee Ritenour (USA), Luciana Souza (Brazil) and Ben Williams (USA). John Beasley (USA) served as musical director.

Little Big town To Be Honored At Grammys On The Hill Awards 4/18

The Miles Electric Band, a progressive, All-Star ensemble of Miles Davis alumni who are revising the framework for modern jazz improvisation, will perform at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) on Thursday, March 1 at 8:00pm.  The avant-garde collective revisits repertoire from Davis' electric period (1968 - 1975) in paying homage to The Chief.  The band represents two generations of players: Davis' contemporaries and the next generation.