On Tuesday night, viewers of San Francisco Conservatory of Music's live Tiny Dorm concert were the first to hear that acclaimed saxophonist Joshua Redman will join SFCM as Artistic Director of Roots, Jazz, and American Music.
The DC Jazz Festival (DCJF), hosts of the only city-wide jazz celebration in the mid-Atlantic region, proudly announces an extraordinary set of artists for its' DC JazzFest presented by Events DC finale weekend. DC JazzFest at The Wharf performances run Saturday, June 20 thru Sunday, June 21 and include four featured stages, three free stages, and one ticketed indoor stage, all on the beautiful riverfront grounds of The Wharf, DC's hottest new dining & entertainment hub.
The DC Jazz Festival ® (DC JazzFest), announced today its initial list of artists set to perform at the 16th annual event, DC JazzFest presented by Events DC, June 12-21, 2020 in Washington, DC. First round lineup includes: Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, Cyrus Chestnut, Lakecia Benjamin, Pedrito Martinez, Eubanks-Evans-Experience, Donald Harrison, Antonio Hart, T.K. Blue, Matt Wilson's Honey & Salt, Shabaka & The Ancestors, Warren Wolf, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Jamie Baum & Short Stories, Matthew Whitaker, Laurin Talese, The Washington Renaissance Orchestra, and many more domestic and international musicians yet to be announced. Additional special performances by the 2020 DCJazzPrix finalists, Centennial Tributes to jazz pioneers Charlie a?oeYardbirda?? Parker and Dave Brubeck, and the DC JazzFest finale (Sunday, June 21) with a performance by one of the greatest contemporary jazz artists of all time [soon to be announced].
Chicago's Pravda Records is proud to announce the signing of former Trip Shakespeare leader Matt Wilson & his Orchestra and will be releasing the ensemble's full-length debut When I Was a Writer March 20, 2020 preceded by the release of the title track on January 17 and the follow up single 'Come To Nothing' February 21.
New York vocalist Kendra Shank pays tribute to her friend and mentor Abbey Lincoln (1930 - 2010) in a program of songs composed by the legendary singer, songwriter, actress, poet, civil rights activist, and NEA Jazz Master whose powerful messages of love, struggle, hope, and freedom are timeless and timely. Shank's CD A Spirit Free: Abbey Lincoln Songbook (2007, the first Lincoln songbook ever recorded) received a New York Times Critics' Choice, 4 stars in DownBeat, and numerous 'Best of the Year' awards, among other accolades.
After many recordings for the Chiaroscuro, Concord, Discovery, DMP, Palmetto, and Steeplechase record companies, pianist Bill Mays is releasing, on his own No Blooze Music label (released November 28, 2019), Mays Plays Mays: Bill Mays and Friends. The friends include guitarist John Hart, trumpeter Marvin Stamm, drummer Matt Wilson and bassist Martin Wind. Beautifully recorded by Matt Balitsaris, and mastered by Michael MacDonald, this marks Bill's 38th recording as a leader.
New York-based vocalist Svetlana will return to Joe's Pub at the Public on Saturday, September 21st to celebrate the release of her new album Night At The Movies, which was officially released today! The star-studded album, which has already garnered praise and attention from the likes of WBGO, JazzTimes and Jazziz Magazine, is her second release as a leader. The show begins at 7pm and tickets are $20.
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.
Acclaimed bassist and composer Chris Lightcap taps into the best of both worlds of acoustic jazz and propulsive electric arrangements with an all-star group featuring the sound sculptor's two critically acclaimed ensembles, Bigmouth and Superette. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of his debut album as a bandleader Lay-Up (1999), Lightcap doubles up with the City's premier jazz visionaries for an unflinching amalgamation of his two singular groups on his latest studio recording, SuperBigmouth (Pyroclastic Records, October 4, 2019). The supergroup features the electrifying lineup of Lightcap alongside keyboardist Craig Taborn, tenor saxophonists Tony Malaby and Chris Cheek, guitarists Jonathan Goldberger and Curtis Hasselbring, and drummers Gerald Cleaver and Dan Rieser.
On June 14 & 15th 2019, The Westchester Collaborative Theater presents vocalist Alexis Cole in her new show Canary in Combat Boots: Memoir of a Jazz Diva in the Army featuring accomplished musicians Jim Ridl on piano and David Finck on bass.
The Coachella Valley Repertory (CVRep), now settled into its newly renovated 210 seat playhouse in Cathedral City, has announced it will remain open throughout the hot summer months to present an exciting line-up of one night only summer performances beginning in June, 2019.
Music on the Plaza, Northrop's popular free summer concert series, returns to campus in June with a mix of new bands and returning favorites. A campus tradition since the 1950s, the popular music series features Minnesota bands with a worldwide variety of styles.
Birdland Jazz Club, located at 315 West 44th St New York, NY, is thrilled to welcome four time Downbeat Top 10 Vocalist and Composer Judi Silvano and the Zephyr Band for a performance on Monday, February 18th.
Baruch Performing Arts Center presents Aaron Diehl Trio Virtuoso at Playon Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 8pm as part of the Milt Hinton Jazz Perspectives Seriesat Baruch Performing Arts Center, 55 Lexington Ave (enter 25th Street between 3rd & Lexington Avenues), NYC.
Slow & Steady Records announces the release of SLUGish Ensemble's debut album, An Eight Out Of Nine. Seeking musical therapy as a relationship was coming to end, SLUGish leader Steven Lugerner revisited a selection of “go-to” nostalgic recordings by many of his favorite artists. “I started to make a list of songs that tugged at my heart, soul and ears,” writes Lugerner. “The collection of songs your hear on this album are all songs that have been deeply embedded in my musical ethos, play after play.”
Pianist Aaron Diehl is one of the most sought-after jazz virtuosos, consistently playing with what the New York Times describes as 'melodic precision, harmonic erudition, and elegant restraint.' Diehl's meticulously thought-out performances, collaborations, and compositions are a leading force in today's generation of jazz contemporaries, spearheading a distinct union of traditional and fresh artistry.