Johnny Hartman News

Summer at The Nash is in full swing as the live concert venue and education center kicks off its programs.  Students will be learning new techniques from top instructors each week at The Nash Summer Workshops while bright young emerging artists arrive to showcase their incredible talents for The Nash Emerging Artist Series (Formerly Catch A Rising Star) kicking off June 29 with piano/bass player Ellis Green. 

On her lovely and coolly sensual new recording, 'Ármame,' vocalist Lauren Henderson delivers an eclectic set of jazz, Latin jazz, and other styles in a program reflecting her African-American and Caribbean heritage and her omnivorous musical tastes. Produced by veteran broadcaster and Sirius/XM jazz host Mark Ruffin, the CD will be released March 30 on her new label, Brontosaurus Records.

Echo Prize-Winning Jazz Singer Lucia Cadotsch Makes Her U.S. Debut in January 2018 with Her Berlin-Based Speak Low Trio Featuring Saxophonist Otis Sandsj and Bassist Petter Eldh. Lucia appears with her Speak Low trio in New York City on January 13 as part of a Sound It Out series double-bill at Greenwich House. Lucia, Otis & Petter will be performing music from their debut album, Speak Low, which earned five-star raves in both DownBeat and The Guardian along with glowing reviews for its companion remix album, Speak Low Renditions.

Make Music Winter, a free, outdoor music-making celebration held each Dec. 21 in New York City, today announced its full lineup of over a dozen participatory musical parades across the five boroughs.

Make Music Winter, a free, outdoor music-making celebration held each Dec. 21 in New York City, today announced its full lineup of over a dozen participatory musical parades across the five boroughs.

On November 17, respected filmmaker John Scheinfeld'sacclaimed feature documentary film, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, will be released by UMe on DVD and Blu-ray with exclusive bonus features.

On Today, September 23rd, Westchester Collaborative Theater (WCT) continues its Jazz Masters music series with the Alexis Cole Trio featuring one of Ossining's own, internationally renowned jazz vocalist Cole, appearing for two sets at 7:30 and 9 pm.

On Saturday, September 23rd, Westchester Collaborative Theater (WCT) continues its Jazz Masters music series with the Alexis Cole Trio featuring one of Ossining's own, internationally renowned jazz vocalist Cole, appearing for two sets at 7:30 and 9 pm.

The Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center will celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month in April with Broadway in Leimert Park, 27 performances beginningSaturday with Charles Wright, the writer and vocalist of the iconic 'Express Yourself' with the Watts 103rd Street Band, joining Emmy-nominated jazz and blues singer Morrison for a concert that begins at 7 p.m.

The 2015-16 season's New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts (YPCs) will conclude on Saturday, May 14, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. with 'Story and Song,' the final program in this season's series, Once Upon a Time, which explores music inspired by stories, poems, and legends. The concert will include selections from Mahler's Des Knaben Wunderhorn and selections from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, performed by The Mary and James G. Wallach Artist-in-Residence Eric Owens; Rossini's William Tell Overture; a selection from Mahler's Symphony No. 2, Resurrection; and a selection from Copland's Appalachian Spring. Philharmonic Assistant Conductor Courtney Lewis will lead the performance; Vice President, Education, Theodore Wiprud will host.

Every time I attend something in jazz pianist Ronny Whyte's estimable weekly series at the welcoming, modern Saint Peter's Church (619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street), I'm glad I came. The place is airy, peaceful, and sunny with spacious pew and tiered seating. Acoustics are splendid. The audience is respectful. And they have Billy Strayhorn's piano. Yesterday's easy-going hour featured Alex Leonard on piano and vocals (one forgets how fine a vocalist he is), David Kingsnorth on bass, and veteran Al Gafa on guitar.

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its 60th anniversary season with the company premiere of Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson's LOST IN THE STARS, February 12-20 in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.

Washington National Opera (WNO) continues its 60th anniversary season with the company premiere of Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson's LOST IN THE STARS, February 12-20 in the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater.

For any cabaret performer, delivering an original song can be a nice touch in any show, but finding the right one can drive a singer crazy. The upside is that as well as highlighting the songwriter (which in some cases can be the singer's musical director) it gives the performer an opportunity to show what they can do with unfamiliar material. The combination of the two can be effective and memorable. Such was the case recently with singer Gary Crawford who along with musical director, arranger and songwriter Barry Levitt delivered a very compelling evening of songs on September 2 at the Metropolitan Room. Crawford is a lovable singer who highlighted the somewhat under-the-radar talent of one of cabaret's most respected musicians. After producing a MAC Award-winning show (for "Best Debut") in 2013-In Love With Love-and recording a subsequent CD, it was inevitable that Crawford and Levitt team up again, this time for Secret Dreams: Gary Crawford Sings The Barry Levitt Songbook.

Washington National Opera (WNO), led by Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, today announced its 2014-2015 season. It includes the company premiere of Daniel Catán's Spanish-language Florencia in the Amazon, a brand-new production of Puccini's classic La bohème, the company premiere of Rachel Portman's family opera The Little Prince, an English-language production of Poulenc's 20th-century drama Dialogues of the Carmelites, a revival of Wagner's epic The Flying Dutchman, and an acclaimed new-to- Washington staging of Rossini's Cinderella. A third season of the American Opera Initiative, including the world premiere of Penny by two alumni of the program, continues WNO's efforts to commission new works and expand the American repertory. Highlights from the 2014-2015 season will be performed by the WNO Orchestra and special guests at a free preview concert on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 6 p.m. in the Kennedy Center Opera House.

Actress/singer Spider Saloff will appear at Rockwell in Hollywood December 3 with her award-winning Cool Yule Christmas show. A big hit artist on the jazz/cabaret scene in Chicago, Saloff is considered one of the greatest song interpreters of Ella Fitzgerald. In our talk, she discusses her roots and her love of music.

The number-one male jazz singer in the home of the Alamo has been entertaining San Antonio and South Texas audiences and recording critically acclaimed CDs for more than 23 years. Now Ken Slavin will bring his unique sound to the Big Apple when he makes his New York City jazz cabaret debut on Thursday, October 31, at the world-famous Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd Street. Show time is 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets start at $25 - with a two-drink minimum - and are available at www.metropolitanroom.com.

For the first time in over fifty years, Harbinger Records will release 'Ballads for the Age of Science,' the most successful educational recordings of all time, as a six-CD box set. Featuring more than four dozen original songs written by Hy Zaret, co-author of the iconic popular song 'Unchained Melody,' and Lou Singer between 1959 and 1961, the albums introduced scientific concepts and terms using catchy, easy-to-learn lyrics and music to grade school students across America in the early 1960s.

For the first time in over fifty years, Harbinger Records will release 'Ballads for the Age of Science,' the most successful educational recordings of all time, as a six-CD box set. Featuring more than four dozen original songs written by Hy Zaret, co-author of the iconic popular song 'Unchained Melody,' and Lou Singer between 1959 and 1961, the albums introduced scientific concepts and terms using catchy, easy-to-learn lyrics and music to grade school students across America in the early 1960s.

Maestro Gill Rose tells our readers what's on his iPod.