One of the most revered figures on the European jazz scene, Swiss trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti has maintained a strong affinity for the music since debuting as a leader in 1965 with A Jazz Portrait of Franco Ambrosetti. Now approaching his 78th birthday in December, Ambrosetti is still swinging after all these years, which is very much in evidence by his latest recording, Long Waves. An all-star session recorded in January, 2019 in New York City, Ambrosetti's 28th as a leader overall and second for the Swiss-based Unit Records features celebrated guitarist John Scofield, pianist Uri Caine, bassist Scott Colley and legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette.Together they interact on an intimate level, displaying remarkable chemistry on seven tracks. 'It was like a constant dialogue,' said Ambrosetti of the empathetic session. 'After one rehearsal, I felt like I had played with this group every night for the last five years.'
To celebrate the continuing cultural impact of The Roots, Geffen and UMe/Urban Legends will re-issue the bands' iconic Things Fall Apart, Do You Want More ?!!??! and Illadelph Halflife to commemorate the anniversary of each album's release.
Author Steve Coleman has announced his new science fiction novel, André's Reboot: Striving to Save Humanity. Released in February 2019, the book is already receiving rave reviews from readers and reviewers.
Joel Ross has revealed his mesmerizing new music video for “Yana” (directed by Daveion Thompson) from the vibraphonist's acclaimed debut album KingMaker, out now on Blue Note Records. Blue Note has also announced a 2-LP vinyl release for KingMaker, which will come out on August 9 and is available for pre-order now here.
The Herb Alpert Foundation and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) has awarded the 25th Annual Herb Alpert Award in the Arts to five exceptional mid-career artists at a celebration hosted by the Herb Alpert Foundation in New York City on Monday, May 13.
Vibraphonist Joel Ross has revealed “Yana,” another new track from his auspicious debut album KingMaker, which comes out May 3. Hear “Yana” on Blue Note's Jazz Now! playlist. Ross will be celebrating the album's release at Jazz Standard in New York City on June 4-5 and Pizza Express in London on July 10-11. This Spring and Summer he'll also be appearing at festivals in the U.S. (Atlanta & Newport) and Europe (North Sea & Umbria), in addition to upcoming tour stops in Brooklyn, Washington DC, and Boston. See below for a full list of tour dates.
"There's probably no frame wide enough to encompass the creative output of the pianist Vijay Iyer," The New York Times observed. His Ph.D. in cognitive science from UC Berkeley is just the start. He's been recognized as a bona fide "genius" by DownBeat magazine and was named by GQ India as one of the 50 most influential Indians. The jazz pianist is also a prolific recording artist and his quintet will play the final Jazz Club performances of The Soraya's 2018/19 season on May 10 and 11.
The International Contemporary Ensemble, 'America's foremost new-music group' (Alex Ross), performs Tyshawn Sorey'sPerle Noire: Meditations for Josephine featuring star soprano Julia Bullock on Friday, May 3, 2019 at 10pm at Oberon, the American Repertory Theater's club venue. Perle Noire: Meditations for Josephine honors the brilliance, daring, courage, and tragedies of Josephine Baker in a production conceived by Peter Sellars with original music by Tyshawn Sorey and texts by Claudia Rankine, both MacArthur Fellows.
Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts presents a Composer Portrait of TYSHAWN SOREY. New music superstars ICE and JACK Quartet perform recent works by Sorey including a world premiere commissioned by Miller Theatre. Sorey also guests as conductor and percussionist. The event is Thursday, March 28, 2019, 8:00 p.m. at Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street)
On Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 8:00pm, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) joins the JACK Quartet for a Miller Theatre Composer Portrait of composer Tyshawn Sorey.
Jazz at Princeton University presents guest artist and Blue Note Records trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire in the world premiere of Slightly Left of Sorrow's Song, commissioned by Jazz at Princeton University to commemorate the 150th anniversary of W.E.B. DuBois' birth. Akinmusire will perform the 8-movement suite with the school's Small Group I under the leadership of saxophonist and program director Rudresh Mahanthappa.
The Kitchen is pleased to welcome back acclaimed instrumentalist and composer Tyshawn Sorey to present three evenings of performances offering the fullest overview of his various working methods to date-including intergenerational collaborations and ritual works, as well as pieces featuring his percussion cage, modern jazz comprising highly-detailed forms that contain harmonic chromaticism and varying degrees of ensemble interplay, and a newly-formed ensemble that integrates spoken word, turntablism, and spontaneous composition.
Carnegie Hall's 2018-2019 season is upon us, and we are looking forward to a variety of exceptional programming and exciting new projects. Listed below are jazz, pop, and world music highlights in the coming months.
In a short film released today by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the foundation's president and CEO, Edward P. Henry, was joined by several previous Doris Duke Artist Award winners in announcing the 2018 recipients of the $275,000 award. The new awardees include Dee Dee Bridgewater, Regina Carter and Stefon Harris for their continuing contributions to jazz; Michelle Dorrance and Okwui Okpokwasili for contemporary dance; and Muriel Miguel and Rosalba Rolon for theater. Each 2018 Doris Duke Artist is receiving $250,000 in flexible funding, along with up to an additional $25,000 to encourage contributions to retirement savings.
LUMBERYARD Contemporary Performing Arts opens its inaugural summer 2018 season, which will fill venues surrounding the organization's highly anticipated new facility in Catskill, New York, with Scat!,a dance-driven musical from Urban Bush Women set in Hudson, NY's Club Helsinki (June 29-July 1). The season,which runs from June 29 - September 2, represents the fullest realization to date of LUMBERYARD's unique dual promise: to make transformative contributions both to the cultural landscape and economic health of Upstate New York and to the field of contemporary performance in New York City and the U.S. by bringing renowned and emerging artists across the performing arts landscape to Catskill for out-of-town premieres, often incubated through LUMBERYARD's signature technical residencies.
The San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) today announces the appointment of Matt Brewer to its faculty. Brewer, a bassist who has toured with some of the world's most esteemed jazz artists and a recent addition to the SFJAZZ Collective, will join his colleagues in the ensemble in Fall 2018 as a faculty member in SFCM's Roots, Jazz, and American Music program.
Birdland will kick-off their exciting month of programming with the following acts BOSSABRASIL Presents Marcos Valle, Stacey Kent, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Freddy Cole Quartet, Ravi Coltrane, Tiffany Austin Septet, Bruce Harris, The City Rhythm Orchestra Salutes Sinatra-Basie, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more!
