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George Burton has been a pianist to watch in Philadelphia, his hometown, for almost 20 years now — since the late 1990s, when I was a close observer of…

On this episode of The Art of the Story, singer Andromeda Turre talks about growing up around legendary trumpeter and composer Dizzy Gillespie

On this episode of The Art of the Story, WBGO's Doug Doyle chats with saxophone greats Vincent Herring and Eric Alexander

The legendary jazz saxophonist, who revolutionized the art of improvisation, died Monday at his home in Woodstock, N.Y.

We are thrilled to present the Brooklyn debut of the Makanda Project, a 13-piece ensemble that has become an important part of the Boston jazz scene. Led by pianist, bandleader and arranger, John Kordalewski, the Makanda Project explores and celebrates the richness of the unrecorded music of multi-instrumentalist, composer and educator Dr. Makanda Ken McIntyre.

Makanda, who lived and taught in New York, was known primarily for leading his own ensembles and had 12 recordings as a leader-- performing on alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet, oboe and bassoon. But he was also a prolific composer. When Makanda died in 2001, his family found over 350 pieces that had not been recorded. John has written arrangements to over 60 of Makanda’s compositions. They are marked by a distinctive rhythmic and lyrical quality that will surprise and delight you. Makanda’s compositions cover a wide range, including "straight ahead" jazz pieces, gorgeous ballads, pieces based on complex rhythmic structures, calypsos, and "free jazz" pieces. Www.mkmjazz.com

Personnel:
Kurtis Rivers - alto saxophone
Lee Odom - alto saxophone, flute, clarinet
Sean Berry - tenor saxophone
Temidayo Balogun - tenor saxophone
Charlie Kohlhase - baritone saxophone
Jerry Sabatini - trumpet
Haneef Nelson - trumpet
Alfred Patterson - trombone
Richard Harper - trombone, piano
Bill Lowe - bass trombone
John Kordalewski - piano
Wes Brown - bass
Yoron Israel - drums



For more information, please email us at onebreathrising@gmail.com.

“Rodney Jones is a legend among musicians especially guitarists. He is worthy of the ears of any music listener.” —George Benson

Acclaimed jazz guitarist Rodney Jones brings his formidable quartet to Zinc jazz club on Monday, July 18. He's supported by pianist Dabin Ryu, bassist Lonnie Plaxico, and drummer EJ Strickland.

Rodney started playing the guitar at age 6. He has recorded two records for the Blue Note label, “The Undiscovered Few” and “Soul Manifesto”. He has toured worldwide, performed, and recorded with a who’s who of music including Dizzy Gillespie, James Brown, Lena Horne, Quincy Jones, Christian McBride, Stevie Wonder, Elvin Jones, Kenny Burrell, Stan Getz, and countless others. He was the house guitarist for the Apollo Theatre for 9 years, and the staff guitarist for the Rosie O’Donnell Show for 6 years. He has written commercials and has more than 125 compositions recorded. He recently scored a documentary film for PBS about African American GIs in WW2. He served as Musical Director/Producer for Lena Horne, Ruth Brown, Gloria Lynne, Ernestine Anderson, and others. He has been a professor of Jazz Guitar Studies at The Juilliard School for 12 years and at The Manhattan School of Music for more than 20 years and has conducted clinics and workshops worldwide.

Showtimes are at 7 pm & 8:30 pm. Tickets: $20 in advance / $25 at the door. For more info, call (212) 477-9462 or visit https://www.zincjazz.com.

Archie Shepp and Jason Moran are two avant-garde jazz musicians from different generations that nonetheless share a penchant for pushing the envelope. Shepp is a veteran saxophonist who has been called both a musical firebrand and a cultural radical, standing out even amongst myriad talents in the free jazz generation. Moran is pianist 37 years Shepp’s junior, with an equal respect for tradition and trailblazing. Their 2021 collaboration Let My People Go is a warm and intimate collection of duets recorded live in 2017-2018, a pristine portrait of two masters at work. They’ll be joined by special guest Cécile McLorin Salvant, a once-in-a-generation vocalist known for transformative performances of well-traveled standards. The bill also includes the Grammy-nominated Chilean tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, who plays with a ferocious energy and deft musicality; Bria Skonberg, a Canadian jazz trumpeter and bandleader once described by The Wall Street Journal as one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation; and Pasquale Grasso, a master be-bop guitarist known for elevating the instrument through his pianistic approach, showing the influence of Bud Powell and Art Tatum in a revolutionary hard-swinging way.

Zoom Tunes- presented by the Vermont Jazz Center Monday November 1, 2021 7:00-8:30 pm EST, special masterclass at 6 pm ON-LINE; $15 per session https://vtjazz.org/zoom-tunes-2/ Because indoor jam sessions with horn players and vocalists are unfeasible at this time, the Jazz Center will utilize Zoom Tunes, an online version of a jam session that is as inclusive as possible. The format was devised and is run by VJC’s junior faculty. For each session, participants will individually play the “tune of the month” using an inexpensive app (iReal Pro) as a source of accompaniment. The app is a digital, play-along system with an enormous library of jazz tunes that gives musicians access to backing tracks with easy adjustments in tempo, key and feel. The Zoom Tune for November 1, 2021 is ’Night and Day’ by Cole Porter. Ray Gallon will present an hour-long masterclass on the music of Bud Powell starting at 6:00 pm EDT. Using video and audio recordings, Gallon will demonstrate Powell’s significance as one of the most important bebop pianists; his legacy has impacted us all, no matter what instrument we play. This special presentation will be followed by the customary 7:00 – 8:30 PM Zoom Tunes with Malik, Ben and Franz. During the Zoom Tunes jam, participants will divide into breakout rooms supervised by one of the coaches. Each participant will play their own version of the given tune, either solo or along with a backing track. After playing their interpretation of the tune, players will receive guidance and support from the other attendees and Zoom Tunes coaches, Malik McLaurine (bass), Ben Barnett (trombone) and Franz Robert (piano). Playing the same composition and hearing the well-considered advice of friends and coaches creates a bonding experience amongst the participants. Listening to others playing the same repertoire can be inspiring and fun and leads to a fruitful learning experience. Singers are more than welcomed and are encouraged to use iReal Pro’s transpose feature to adjust the song’s key to suit their vocal range.

VJC pays homage to the big band era this season, uniting our in-house big band with critically acclaimed singer Amanda Carr. Carr became acquainted with the Great American Songbook through her parents who were both professional big band musicians in the Boston area. Carr has recorded in the U.S. and abroad, including Australia, England and Italy where she appeared as a headline artist at EuroJazz Festival. Twice a feature story by respected writer/author Nat Hentoff in The Wall Street Journal, Carr was hailed by him as “…a true jazz singer...”. Ms. Carr has appeared as guest vocalist with the Boston Pops, the Artie Shaw Orchestra, the Harry James Band and the Glenn Miller Orchestra to name a few. The VJC Big Band is led by musical director Rob Freeberg. This year the big band celebrates 18 years of performances thanks in great part to band manager Sherm Fox’s continued persistence and organizational efforts. Dance the night away and savor the sounds of the swinging past! This year each concert will have both a limited in-person audience as well as a livestream component. You may purchase in-person tickets and/or donate to the livestream. Please give generously and support live music. Sponsored by Dianne and Stephen Liebermann $30-50 sliding scale. In-Person Tickets: https://secure.vtjazz.org/.../evenRegistration.jsp... Donate to the Livestream: https://secure.vtjazz.org/np/clients/vtjazz/donation.jsp... Covid safety guidelines (proof of vaccination & ID required for attendance) https://vtjazz.org/2021-safety-protocols-for-in-person-activities/ 802 254 9088 gingervjc@vtjazz.org Vermont Jazz Center 72 Cotton Mill Hill #222 Brattleboro VT 05301

Multi GRAMMY® Award winning internationally acclaimed pianist/singer/composer Eliane Elias’ distinctive musical style is one of the most unique and immediately recognizable sounds in jazz. She blends her Brazilian roots and alluring voice with her virtuosic instrumental jazz, classical and compositional skills, while consistently displaying pianistic mastery and ability to integrate her many artistic roles. In this special release album show, Eliane and her quartet will perform her Brazilian hits and favorites and introduce exciting new material from her latest album MIRROR MIRROR. MIRROR MIRROR is an extraordinary piano duet recording of Eliane with the late legendary jazz great Chick Corea, and famed Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. While her highly successful recordings have predominantly featured her alluring voice and piano mastery, the piano has always been her first love and working with these two incredible icons was a rare opportunity to record in a two-piano setting. Eliane has toured 71 countries, sold over 2.3 million albums and has over 565,000 monthly streams and over 22 million for her song “Little Paradise” on Spotify. Her numerous additional achievements include: three-time Best Vocal Album winner in Japan and winner of the 2018 Edison Lifetime Achievement Award in Holland. “The Brazilian pianist and singer Eliane Elias commands the keyboard with a forceful two-handed muscularity that belies her image as a blond older sister of the mythical Girl from Ipanema.” – The New York Times “Her vibrancy is a force unto itself. With powerful artistry, her naturally prodigious talent is even stronger as the years pass—a feat capable only by the true elites of the musical world.” – DownBeat