Hot Java Cool Jazz Time
The stage is set for Starbucks 17th Annual Hot Java Cool Jazz show to once again delight Seattle-area jazz fans, as the region’s top young musicians come together for a special show at the Paramount Theatre. Proceeds from the night’s performances benefit the music programs of the participating schools. Since 1995, StarbucksHot Java Cool Jazz has raised more than $250,000 for participating schools’ music programs.
Get your tickets surcharge-free at select Starbucks or at The Paramount box office. Tickets are also available online HERE.
Golden Ear Awards Ballot
Due March 31, 2012
Each year, the Golden Ear Awards recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of the previous year in Seattle jazz. In the process, Seattle jazz fans and performers can take stock of and show gratitude for the region’s vibrant jazz ecology. The awards
are determined by a combination of nominations and popular vote. Nominees this year were selected by a poll of Earshot Jazz readers, jazz performers, audience members, journalists and industry professionals. There are eight Golden Ear Award categories, including induction into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame. Please vote today. Print a pdf file of the ballot and mail your selection s to the Earshot Jazz office at 3429 Fremont Place N, #309, Seattle WA, 98103.
This year’s Earshot Jazz Spring Series (or String Theories) brings you concerts that tap into the core traditions and the expansion of jazz music. For some truly distinctive concerts, and lot’s of fun with this music check out the schedule: http://EarshotSpringSeries
Sound Check! – please feel free to forward the Petition to a friend and post on your Facebook wall!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/latinjazzatthegrammys/
Ballard, Montlake Terrace & Roosevelt Going to Essentially Ellington
Jazz at Lincoln Center has just announced the 15 finalist bands for its prestigious 17th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. Among the finalists were three bands from Washington State, including Ballard High School, Mountlake Terrace High School, and Roosevelt High School. The bands will compete and participate in workshops, jam sessions, and more, during a three-day Competition & Festival in New York City May 4 thru May 6.
Since first appearing at the Festival in 1999, Garfield and Roosevelt High School Jazz Bands have literally dominated the festival competition with ten first and second place finishes between them (twice in the same year); and, during that time they also brought along with them finalist appearances by Mountlake Terrace, Shorewood, Edmonds Woodway and Newport High Schools. Now Ballard High School joins the mighty Northwest Jazz force at EE. Last year, Roosevelt High School took second place, while Mountlake Terrace finished third. We will keep you up to date on Jazz May Madness–Essentially Ellington.
Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival
February 22th-25th
For more than 40 years at the University of Idaho, the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival has brought jazz
masters together with elementary, junior high, high school and college students to share and celebrate a truly American art form of music.
The Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival has grown from a one-day event to an amazing four-day experience!
http://www.uidaho.edu/jazzfest/Tickets
Portland Jazz Festival
February 17th-26th
Branford Marsalis+Joey Calderazzo, Roy Haynes, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Bill Frisell, Charles McPherson, Thara Memory, Charlie Hunter, Vijay Iyer with Prasanna and Nitin Mitta, Enrico Rava, The Jazz Passengers, Garth Fagan Dance, and Mardi Gras @ The Mission
Click Image for Schedule and Ticket Information
Bill Frisell Pays Tribute to
John Lennon
“The most innovative and influential jazz guitarist of the past 25 years.”
Wall Street Journal
The Portland Jazz Festival has announced a special program of guitarist Bill Frisell, a highly anticipated and unprecedented event for a U.S. jazz festival February 24th, 9:30pm @ The Crystal Ballroom. The second set, titled “All We Are Saying,” pays homage to John Lennon and features Lennon originals “Across the Universe,” “Revolution,” “Nowhere Man,” “Imagine,” “Come Together,” “Julia,” “Love,” “Beautiful Boy,” “Mother,” “Give Peace a Chance,” and more will be performed.
The acclaimed and creative 30-plus year career of Seattle-based Bill Frisell has been nurtured over the years by his unique incorporations of musical influences and his persistent album releases. Finding a distinct umbrella category for Frisell doesn’t do the creativity and originality of his music any justice. The GRAMMY® Award winner is a respected and preeminent musician in all of the genres that he continues to defy.
http://pdxjazz.com/bill-frisell
Seattle’s Own Andre Feriante!
2012 marks the 14th year that guitar virtuoso Andre Feriante will host his annual Valentine’s Day Concert at Benaroya Hall’s Nordstrom Recital Hall.
After 25 years of performing, this Seattle-based, award-winning, neo-flamenco/classical guitar virtuoso has left his musical mark on the classical, world music, and fusion scenes. His fans savor the soulful and seductive harmonies his music embodies and, in the spirit of other crossover artists like YoYo Ma or Sting, Andre’s performance program represents a bold but fluid musical fusion.
A poet as well as composer, Andre’s artistic path frequently crosses with other Seattle-based musicians. His annual Valentine’s concert affords these friends and fellow musicians the once-a-year opportunity to perform all together.
This year’s concert includes: operatic tenor Steve Thoreson, piano legend Overton Berry violinist Swil Kanim, dancer Stella Rossi, vocalist Whitton, and bassist Jeff Davies. It is during the second act when Andre introduces this eclectic mix of musical professionals for an improvisational set that is sure to dazzle.
Tickets are on sale online at: www.benaroyahall.org
More about Andre Feriante : www.andreferiante.com
JAZZ FINDS A VOICE
IN THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT
Musicians Have Gotten Involved with
the Occupy Movement in many Locations
Both On and Offline
Since the civil rights movement, and the war protests of the ‘60s, music has played a powerful role in empowering the spirit of causes in American politics. In a powerful Opinion/Editorial appearing December 9, 2011 in All About Jazz, Ras Moshe says “Sometimes it takes going to the street to demonstrate the importance of jazz’s empowering spirit. The struggle to survive under greed will bring it out. And when the people see jazz artists sharing their concerns, it will bring more attention to what jazz is trying to achieve. In turn, some of those people will come and support us in our endeavors.” http://www.allaboutjazz.com/OccupyMovement
In addition to supporting the spirit of the Occupy Movement, Jazz Musicians are also voicing their concerns that the income and wealth inequality is in many ways also responsible for the fate of the creative arts. Nate Smith, now residing in NYC, writes in his Nate Smith Blog on Salon.com that: “The upshot is there are fewer opportunities for journeyman musicians to hone their craft. I’ll commit a Jazz sin…and say the phone has been ringing less these days, and it’s no coincidence–every job I’ve lost was tied to a venue closing, or ceasing to feature jazz artists. The fate of the creative arts not only mirrors the gradual trends afflicting the American economy and personal income relative-to-inflation of the last 30 years, it dovetails almost seamlessly with what’s happened to Life in America since the bursting of the Real Estate Bubble.” http://open.salon.com/blog/natesmith124
Occupy Musicians Launch Website
A website to help facilitate performances at Occupy spaces and events; connect media with Occupy Musicians; host sound, video, & writing from Occupy Musicians can be found at http://www.occupymusicians.com/
2011 Havana International Jazz Festival Travel Package
Wednesday 14 to Monday 19 December. Go for it!
HOT, THROBBING, LIVE Latin rhythms morning, noon and night on the ultimate Latin jazz and Cuban culture dream tour! CUBAN JAZZ MASTER Chucho Valdés and the Cuban Institute of Music (sponsors of the 28th Edition of the Havana International Jazz Festival, also known as Havana Jazz Plaza) warmly invite you to come to Cuba and meet its people on the Official 2012 Havana International Jazz Festival Tour.
By popular demand Cuba Education Tours has worked hand-in-glove with the Cuban Institute of Music and the Havana Jazz Plaza Organizing Committee to offer a deluxe jazz-only travel package. Jazzoids went last year and highly recommends that you GO FOR IT! http://www.havanajazz.org/
Si! Viva Jazzoids en Cuba
The Marketing Manager for Insight Cuba, the leading provider of legal travel to Cuba for all Americans writes to advise that in the process of creating content for this years Havana Jazz Festival they “…came across some great videos on YouTube via Jazzoids from last year’s Festival…and request permission to use…” Si! Click here to view the video, and join in our tribute to Cuban musicians for their historical influence on our international Jazz culture: http://ArturoO’Farill at HJF
JIM WILKE’S TOP NORTHWEST
JAZZ CDs OF 2011
For Pacific Northwest jazz fans in particular, here are some of the exceptional releases recently from artists living in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver.
Chuck Deardorf, Transparence (Origin)
Thomas Marriott, Human Spirit (Origin)
Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto, Current (Adventure Music)
Bill Anschell, Figments (Origin)
Elspeth Savani, Flights of Mind (Elspeth Savani)
Cory Weeds, Just Like That (Cellar Live)
Wellstone Conspiracy, Humble Origins (Origin)
Milt Kleeb Dectet, Something If Nothing Else (Pony Boy)
Listen to Jim Wilke’s Jazz Northwest every Sunday at 1:00 PM on 88.5 KPLU.
2012 NEA Jazz Masters Recipients Announced
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced the five recipients of the 2012 NEA Jazz Masters Award, the nation’s highest honor in jazz. The honor will be bestowed upon drummer, keyboardist and composer Jack DeJohnette, saxophonist Von Freeman, bassist, composer and educator Charlie Haden, vocalist and educator Sheila Jordan and educator, trumpeter, flugelhorn player, composer and arranger Jimmy Owens. Owens will receive the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy.
Past Jazz Masters Award Winners Pose for JAZZOIDS
Each of the five recipients will take home a one-time award of $25,000 and be publicly honored at the 30th Annual NEA Jazz Masters awards ceremony and concert scheduled for January, and produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center at its home, Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City. Full profiles of the five recipients are posted on the NEA Jazz Masters website.
KPLU School of Jazz
wins National Education Award!
88.5 KPLU has received the Service to America Award from the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) for its School of Jazz program.
The award recognizes outstanding community service by local broadcasters. Winners were honored at the Celebration of Service to America Awards dinner Monday, June 6, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
KPLU created the School of Jazz project in 2005 to engage jazz professionals with public high school jazz bands in Western Washington in a mentorship program, culminating each year in the production of a CD. In phase one of the mentoring program, each jazz musician practices with, and coaches a high school jazz band in preparation for phase two, which brings the jazz musicians and high school bands together into the studio to record songs for a CD. Sales from each year’s CD benefit local school music programs; over $50,000 has been raised since the program’s inception.
2011 School of Jazz Volume: 7 Now Available
Guests artists included on KPLU School of Jazz – Volume 7: Lance Buller, David Marriott, Mark Taylor, Mike Allen, Chad McCullough, Tracy Knoop, Randy Halberstadt, Jay Thomas, Bill Ramsay, Jovino Santos Neto, and Maria Joyner. All proceeds benefit Western Washington school music programs. PURCHASE YOUR COPY NOW
The 23rd edition of
“Seattle’s most important annual jazz event…”
…That’s what DownBeat calls it! Also known for “adventurous, spot-on programming” (Jazz Times) and praised as “one of the best festivals in America” (Seattle Times) the Earshot Jazz Festival brings jazz greats from around the world into creative collaboration with area artists and audiences. Earshot also celebrates Seattle’s place in the world of jazz, with concerts by our award-winning high-school jazz programs and our own renowned resident artists.
2011 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule Announced:
WINNERS OF 16th ANNUAL ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON COMPETITION
1st Place: Dillard Center for the Arts, Fort Lauderdale
2nd Place: Roosevelt High School, Seattle
3rd Place: Mountlake Terrace High School, Seattle
Honorable Mention: New World School of the Arts, Miami
Three high school jazz bands took top honors in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s 16th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. Each band was chosen by a panel of judges composed of distinguished jazz musicians and historians – Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Artistic Director WYNTON MARSALIS; composer, conductor, and Ellington authority DAVID BERGER; composer and arranger RICH DEROSA; trombonist, educator, and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra member VINCENT GARDNER, and drummer and big band leader JEFF HAMILTON- from among the 15 finalist bands that came to the Competition & Festival in New York City.
Essentially Ellington Fever Rising
Roosevelt and Mountlake Terrace High Schools will both compete against 13 other national bands May 12-14 in the Essentially Ellington competition at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center.
2011 Roosevelt Jazz Band - Leading Contender for 4th EE First Place Win
Garfield High School, which won in 2010; and, has won the national contest four times (more than any other group), did not make the finals. It is the only time other than 2001 when Garfield didn’t make the cut. Roosevelt High School has won the competition three times and, and except for 2003, has also made the finals every year since the 16-year-old event began accepting contestants west of the Mississippi in 1999. Mountlake Terrace, led by Director Darin Faul has made the finals five times and it came in third in 2005. Seattle-area bands have dominated the competition since 1999, winning first place seven times.
Dinner and Jam Session The Allen Room and Atrium May 8, 2010
Throughout March and April of this year, Jazz at Lincoln Center sent, free of charge, a professional musician to each of the 15 finalist band schools to lead an intensive day-long workshop of rehearsals, lessons, and master classes. The free clinics are part of the rich 16-year history of this unique music education program, which has reached more than 300,000 students in more than 3,000 high schools across all 50 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and American schools abroad. EE has produced and distributed more than 96,000 copies of 92 previously unavailable scores and 222 finalist bands have traveled to New York City to participate in the annual Competition & Festival. This year Jazz at Lincoln Center distributed more than 9,200 newly transcribed scores, reference recordings and additional educational materials.
Lincoln Center
Avery Fisher Hall
This year 1,536 high schools in the United States, Canada, and American schools in Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, and Switzerland received Essentially Ellington materials.
110 bands entered the competition by submitting a recorded performance of three compositions. The entries were evaluated and the 15 finalist selected in a blind screening by jazz education experts RONALD CARTER, ANDREW HOMZY, LOREN SCHOENBERG, and TODD WILLIAMS.
Jazzoid’s Exclusive Report:
Dillard Center for the Arts 2010 EE Second Place Winner
Christopher Dorsey is a crusty, but lovable Director of the DCA Jazz Band. You feel from the moment he steps before his band that he knows this music from his soul; and, you know that for sure when like a tennis star he starts the count for every chart, not with a one-two- three, but with a guttural Ungh-Ungh-UNGH from his heart!
In just seven years he has brought the DCA Jazz Band to National prominence through his sheer talent, feeling and love of this music; and, clearly a love for his student musicians.
Four years ago he took a band of largely freshmen to it’s first competition, and they learned a lot. Tonight, after winning Second Place as the 2010 Essentially Ellington Festival, he had reason to be proud. He introduced the packed Cinema Paradiso Theater crowd to a polished ensemble that has become a force to be reckoned with at Lincoln Center in May.
This became even more apparent when at one point in the program he asked all of the seniors to stand up. Almost all of the band did. He then asked all of the Honor Students to stand up, and again almost all of band did. That is the beauty of Wynton Marsalis’ vision for jazz education in our schools. The disciplines required to become a good musician that can play the charts of the jazz masters are the same disciplines required to be a good student, and to be successful in life.
The DCA sounds big and full as an ensemble; and, if not to my ear quite as fully rounded as we have become to expect from Roosevelt, Garfield and Mountlake Terrace, they have some outstanding soloists that will play well to what the EE judges always look for in a winner.
Watch out for Patrick Bartley on Alto Sax to literally slay Ellington’s “Prelude to a Kiss” all the way to an Outstanding Soloists award. Anthony Burrell also showed great potential on Tenor Sax. However, two of my unmentioned favorites were Russell Hall on Bass; and Anthony Morrison on drums, who together led a solid rhythm section that definitely knows how to swing.
Wynton Marsalis on Morning Joe
“We need to bring arts back into the schools, or we lose the soul of our country
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Take a Listen to Our Bands
Thanks to Starbucks for the 16th Hot Java Cool Jazz Concert Friday, April 15th at the Paramount Theater supporting our Jazz Education programs and Essentially Ellington Finalists
Edmonds-Woodway (watch a video on YouTube)
Garfield (watch a video on YouTube)
Mountlake Terrace (watch a video on YouTube)
Newport (watch a video on YouTube)
Roosevelt (watch a video on YouTube)
The Beat Goes on in Seattle Jazz Education
Excellence in student jazz performance has helped put Seattle schools on the map for music education in America. Seattle JazzED broadens access to this opportunity to aspiring middle and high school musicians throughout the Seattle area.
For More information: http://www.seattlejazzed.org
Let’s Make a Record with The JPQ
Jason Parker has launched a Kickstarter Campaign to help make a new CD with the Jason Parker Quartet. They will hit the studio on Dec. 26th only if we help. Kickstarter is the largest creative funding platform in the world helping independent artists raise the funds necessary to live their dreams. Watch this video for how we can make it happen.
http://.kickstarter.com/projects/JPQ
“Our Jazz Scene needs more than we have been leaving in the tip jar”Jazzoids.com
Earshot: Thanks for a fortnight of wonderful Jazz Memories!
JAZZ NOW SEATTLE! PODCAST SMASH HIT
New Invaluable Key to Seattle Jazz Scene
Jason Parker currently leads the Jason Parker Quartet, one of Seattle’s busiest jazz bands, and also is an avid educator, teaching trumpet, recording, performance, and music theory. David Marriott is often described as a musician for the next generation, and co-leader with brother Thomas, of the award winning Marriott Jazz Quintet. Together they are established leaders of Seattle’s flourishing Jazz scene, and about as inside as you get. They are now sharing that insider’s knowledge by spotlighting what is really going on in the Seattle jazz scene with their new JazzNowSeattle Podcast. While listening read their in-depth liner notes on the web site, and don’t miss a single weekly episode by subscribing free at iTunes.
This week catch the second installment of their timely and exclusive four-week preview of the Earshot Jazz Festival:
Seattle Jazz Featured on Page One of New York Times Sunday Arts & Leisure
“THE atmosphere at Cafe Racer, a coffeehouse and bar in the University District here, skews distinctly postgrunge, with its scuffed floor and mismatched furniture, its thrift-store paintings on boldly colored walls. One Sunday evening this spring the place was packed mainly with teenagers and 20-somethings in T-shirts and sneakers, all listening intently to a band. Everything seemed of a piece except the music: sleek, dynamic large-group jazz, a whirl of dark-hued harmony and billowing rhythm.”
Read this View From the Other Coast of Our Vibrant Jazz Scene:
http://NYT: Seattle’s Alt-Rock Hub, Purring With Jazz
Also read Jason Parker’s follow-up article:
“New York Times: Seattle’s Jazz Scene Could be Model for Other Cities.”
http://Jason Parker & The Seattle Jazz Scene
National Endowment For The Arts Announces 2011 Jazz Masters
Downbeat Magazine: The National Endowment for the Arts has announced the recipients of the 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Award. For the first time in the program’s 29-year history, the NEA presented a group award to the Marsalis family. All of the 2011 recipients were publicly honored at the annual awards ceremony and concert January 11, 2011, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall.
For more info go to nea.gov
Go to Jazzoids Store to find: A Jazz Celebration (Limited Edition DVD/CD combo pack in Jazz DVD’s, and CD in Featured Jazz CD’s) by The Marsalis Family (Nov. 18, 2003)
Cuong Vu Presented University of Washington
Distinguished Teaching Award
Cuong Vu, an assistant professor of jazz studies at UW SoM, has supercharged the school’s Jazz Studies Program since joining the faculty just three years ago. He is credited with inspiring the student led Improvised Music Project which this spring hosted “A Week of Jazz” festival celebrating the 20th anniversary of the jazz-studies program.
Read More in Hugo Kugiya’s great special piece in the Seattle Times: “UW jazz program energized by The Vu Effect.”
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/musicnightlife
Garfield High School jazz band placed first in the 2010 Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival at New York’s Lincoln Center. Bands from Roosevelt and Edmonds-Woodway high schools also competed.
http://Read the Full Seattle Times Report
By Hugo Kugiya, Special to The Seattle Times
http://Garfield’s Riley Mulherkar Named Festival’s Top Soloist
By Hugo Kugiya
