Stanley Crouch News

The Louis Armstrong House Museum announces 2014 Louie Award recipients! The Louie Award is the museum's annual award presented in honor of dedicated work to preserve and promote the cultural legacy of Louis Armstrong. This year the Louie Award will be bestowed upon Dick Cavett, legendary talk-show host and author; Andrew P. Jackson (Sekou Molefi Baako) Executive Director, Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center in Queens; and Stephen Maitland-Lewis award-winning author and jazz aficionado.

Three great acts, all very different, bring their musical talent to the Bridge Street Theatre's SPEAKEASY on Saturdays in July. Jon B. Woodin on July 12 (for BST's second Afterstroll). The Teri Roiger Trio, a hit at the Closing Night Party for AVIARY (reimagined) on July 19. The amazing, challenging Michael Moss/Billy Stein Duo on July 26.

Celebrating 85 years, the Music Institute of Chicago announces the 2014-15 season of its popular Faculty and Guest Artist Series. All concerts take place at the historic Nichols Concert Hall, 1490 Chicago Avenue in the heart of downtown Evanston.

New-York Historical Society has announced its June 2014 public programs, lectures, films and concerts. Details below!

Long Beach Opera's offbeat double bill provides two iconic American takes on Igor Stravinsky's whimsical, neoclassical theater piece L'Histoire du Soldat. Composed in 1918, Stravinsky's original score was set to Ferdinand Ramuz's version of a Russian folktale about a soldier in pursuit of a princess and a treasure who is conned by the Devil.

When the Harlem Renaissance was in vogue at the dawn of the 20th Century, the jazz clubs around Jungle Alley, between Lenox and Seventh Avenue - The Savoy Ballroom, Small's Paradise, Minton's Playhouse, Clark Monroe's Uptown House, The Ubangi Club, Park Palace, Connie's Inn, and others - were the place to be. These immortal nightclubs, concert halls, cabarets, speakeasies and ballrooms, will be channeled and showcased May 4 - 10 at the Fourth Annual Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival.

In response to the interest and discussion surrounding the recent releases of 12 Years a Slave (2013) and Django Unchained (2012), Museum of the Moving Image will present Massa' Gaze: Screenings and Critical Discussions of the Depictions of Slavery in Film and Television. The event, on Saturday, February 1, from 1:00 to 8:30 p.m., opens with a rare screening of Solomon Northup's Odyssey, Gordon Parks's 1984 film adaptation of Northup's memoir (the same source material as 12 Years a Slave), and closes with Burn!, Gillo Pontecorvo's 1969 film about a Caribbean slave rebellion starring Marlon Brando.

The nominees for THE 45TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS were announced today during a live press conference at the TV One presentation to the Television Critics Association during its Winter 2014 Press Tour in Pasadena, CA. David Oyelowo ('Lee Daniels' 'The Butler'), Joe Morton (ABC's 'Scandal'), Keke Palmer (VH1's 'CrazySexyCool'), Bresha Webb (TV One's 'Love That Girl') and Gina Torres (USA's 'Suits') announced the categories and nominees with NAACP Image Awards Committee Chairman, Leonard James and President and CEO of TV One, Alfred Liggins.

The ASCAP Foundation just honored Tony Award-winning lyricist and director of Annie Martin Charnin with the first-ever ASCAP Foundation George M. Cohan Award at their 18th annual Awards Ceremony last night, December 11th. The invitation-only event, hosted by ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams, was held at the Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Today, Stanley Crouch president of the Louis Armstrong EducationalFoundation, Inc. announced organizational leadership changes. The legendary Louis Armstrong, widely known for shifting the direction of American music, through jazz, appointed Phoebe Jacobs as the driving force behind the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. Until April of last year she was the Foundation's Executive Vice President, and “the face” of the organization. With her passing in 2012 the Foundation has continued the mission which has for 36 years been the living legacy of Louis Armstrong providing support to music education organizations that are preserving America's classical music, Jazz.

The National Jazz Museum in Harlem has added a slew of new events with Jonathan Batiste. Below you will find the entire calendar of events for September with three new Jazz Is:Now! additions. The museum is also happy to announce that Greg Thomas will host next Tuesday's 'Words on Bird' event accompanied by pianst Chris Pattishall.

Long Beach Opera's Artistic and General Director Andreas Mitisek announces the company's 2014 plans to produce five rarely performed 20th and 21st century, “Out Of Bounds,” operas. The new season includes the Southern California premieres of Duke Ellington's “street opera” Queenie Pie and John Adams' controversial The Death of Klinghoffer; An American Soldier's Tale, Kurt Vonnegut 's provocative remake of Igor Stravinsky'sThe Soldier's Tale paired with Wynton Marsalis' jazz-driven A Fiddler's Tale; and a reprise of LBO audience favorite, David Lang's haunting The Difficulty of Crossing a Field. Three of the five composers–Adams, Marsalis and Lang–are actively contributing to today's music scene, while Stravinsky and Ellington made indelible marks on 20th century music.

Long Beach Opera's Artistic and General Director Andreas Mitisek announces the company's 2014 plans to produce five rarely performed 20th and 21st century, "Out Of Bounds," operas. The new season includes the Southern California premieres of Duke Ellington's "street opera" Queenie Pie and John Adams' controversial The Death of Klinghoffer; An American Soldier's Tale, Kurt Vonnegut 's provocative remake of Igor Stravinsky'sThe Soldier's Tale paired with Wynton Marsalis' jazz-driven A Fiddler's Tale; and a reprise of LBO audience favorite, David Lang's haunting The Difficulty of Crossing a Field. Three of the five composers-Adams, Marsalis and Lang-are actively contributing to today's music scene, while Stravinsky and Ellington made indelible marks on 20th century music.

On Tuesday, Dec. 4th the Manhattan Penthouse was swinging as Louis Armstrong lovers from around the world gathered to celebrate Armstrong's legacy and raise funds for the Louis Armstrong House Museum. Scroll below for photos from the event, featuring Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Heath and more!

The Louis Armstrong House Museum Gala will be held today, December 4, 2012 at the Manhattan Penthouse, 80 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011. The cocktail hour begins at 6:00 pm; dinner and the awards ceremony follow at 7:15 pm featuring a special performance by David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band. Business attire is welcome.

The Louis Armstrong House Museum Gala will be held on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at the Manhattan Penthouse, 80 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011. The cocktail hour begins at 6:00 pm; dinner and the awards ceremony follow at 7:15 pm featuring a special performance by David Ostwald's Louis Armstrong Centennial Band. Business attire is welcome.

Today, September 8th, 11am - 7pm, Artist and Curator Gwendolyn Black continues her annual Visual Arts and Jazzfest 2012 with the 1st Annual Visual Arts and Jazz Outdoor Art Fair headlined by Guggenheim Fellow and NEA Jazz Master Pianist Randy Weston.

On Saturday, September 8th, 11am - 7pm, Artist and Curator Gwendolyn Black continues her annual Visual Arts and Jazzfest 2012 with the 1st Annual Visual Arts and Jazz Outdoor Art Fair headlined by Guggenheim Fellow and NEA Jazz Master Pianist Randy Weston.

The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, and Jazz at Lincoln Center invite you to the Tribute to Phoebe Jacobs, in memoriam. The event will be held at Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center tonight, May 24, 2012 at 1 p.m. There will be no printed tickets for this event. Doors will open at 12:30pm, and attendees will be seated on a first come, first served basis.