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Hargrove first emerged in the late 1980s, at a cultural moment when his precocity and poise amounted to a form of currency in jazz, quickly earning the approval of the genre's elders.

Joel Ross, “3-1-2”Vibraphonist Joel Ross has been a force in motion on the New York jazz scene almost since his arrival at the New School in 2015. Last…

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Pregnant women in intensive care with severe cases of the flu have a higher risk of giving birth to babies prematurely. The risk of breathing problems for the baby is also substantially higher.

Seattle-area physician Brandon Fainstad tells NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro about being a healthcare worker at the American epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak.

Joe McCarthy and Vince Norman of the New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band talk with WBGO’s Bobby Sanabria about The Pan-American Nutcracker Suite

WBGO’s Brian Delp talks with pianist and bandleader Bill Charlap who is being honored along with his late friend Tony Bennett at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Gala on April 17.

Over the course of his six previous albums, starting with his debut Painted Diaries in 2009, Reza Khan has worked with some of the biggest names in contemporary jazz while developing a fascinating trademark fusion of pop, jazz, soul and world influences. His music is steeped in his international roots and status as a socially conscious musical citizen of the world. Along the way, the Bangladesh-born, NYC-based composer and guitarist has enjoyed several breakthrough hits on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart, including his first Top Ten single “Drop of Faith” (featuring Nils) from his critically acclaimed fifth album Next Train Home and “Waiting for the Sky” from the 2021 collection Imaginary Road. Despite this airplay success, he’s always been told that the music he writes and produces is designed more for musicians to play than for the average smooth jazz listener to simply enjoy.
With Khan’s latest album, the intriguingly titled Mystical, he aims to change all that and create songs as infectious and radio friendly as they are brilliantly performed. Rather than have an overriding narrative concept, his goal was to collaborate with some familiar cohorts (Philippe Saisse, Mark Egan, David Mann, Nils) and others who could bring a fresh, magical, and yes, mystical quality to his songs. His first call was to David Mann, the veteran saxophonist who had brought great horn textures and arrangements to previous albums. He sought his production expertise, but just as importantly, felt that straight on compositional collaboration would be the ticket to unlocking this magic. Mann became an important co-writer, composer, arranger and producer for the album.
While some of the original Khan/Mann tunes like “The Falcon” and “Whispering Trees” indeed tell fascinating, poetic stories of their own, the guitarist began with a different overall vision. He co-wrote every one of the new tracks with a specific well-known genre musician in mind as a featured artist, hoping their positive replies would lead to incredible individual tracks with hit potential that could take the song in a magical/mystical direction Khan couldn’t have imagined upon writing the song.
Building off a foundation of Khan on lead guitar, Bern Schoenhardt on rhythm guitar, Mann on keys and sax, Khan’s guest list – all of whom immediately agreed to participate – includes Saisse, Nils, Jeff Lorber, Bob James, Keiko Matsui, a unique array of bassists (Egan, Jimmy Haslip, Brendan Rothwell, Mel Browne) and drummers (Gary Novak, Brian Dunne and Lionel Cordew. Because the project was recorded during the pandemic, the basic tracks were recorded at Khan’s home studio in Long Island, with Mann putting together remotely created tracks in his NYC studio.
Another unique aspect of the collection that contributes to Mystical living up to its title is the opportunity to experience new versions of three classic tracks from Reza’s early projects via Mann’s contemporary 2022 productions with new lineups of musicians – “Bahia Mama” (featuring the original vocal by Jennifer Grimm) and “Catalina’s Dream” from Painted Diaries and “Language of Love” from A Simple Plan (2011). The fact that “Language of Love” and “Catalina’s Dream” are in the cue for future single releases show that Khan’s composing style was always in the pocket, with great hit potential. He just needed Mann’s expertise behind the boards to take it to the next level.
“My goal with Mystical was to imagine a very magical album where David and I write songs together for certain individual musicians we wanted to bring to the recording,” says Khan. “Every track evolved organically until it became a very different type of conceptual album, with each tune having magical, mysterious elements. I had always composed every song by myself and I enjoyed the exciting learning curve of collaborating differently on each tune. My idea was to focus on how they could appeal broadly to fans of smooth jazz without limiting the inspiration and motivation that has driven me in the past.”


Featuring:
David Mann, sax
Mark Egan, bass
Mauricio Zottarelli, drums
Matt king, keyboards
Fernando Saci, percussions
Olivia Foschi, vocals

Registration Required. Go to: https://bit.ly/TerryGarciaTalk

On Wednesday, May 8th, from 7:00 - 8:00 PM, ET, Hamptons Observatory and co-host East Hampton Library are delighted to present a free, virtual lecture by Terry Garcia, former National Geographic Executive Vice President and Chief Science & Exploration Officer, who’ll discuss his new book, The Future of Exploration: Discovering the Uncharted Frontiers of Science, Technology, and Human Potential, an anthology by 36 of the world’s most renowned explorers and visionaries.

Exploration is as old as humankind, but there are still surprises that await us. With technology opening doors that once seemed permanently closed, the 21st century will be the greatest age of exploration in our history. Despite the impressive extent of our accumulated knowledge, we have barely scratched the surface of our understanding of our world, of our universe, and of ourselves.

Accompanied by awe-inspiring photographs by co-author Chris Rainier, each contributor to Garcia’s book shares their personal achievements and insights into what the future of exploration looks like from their respective fields, the challenges they face, and possible solutions. Whether delving into the terrestrial, oceanic, or cosmic frontiers, this discussion will take you on a journey into uncharted realms and inspire you to be a part of the future of exploration.

These first-hand accounts of adventure and discovery include Jane Goodall, Sylvia Earle, Bob Ballard, Sir Richard Branson, Louise Leakey, Zahi Hawass, Yvon Chouinard, Paula Kahumbu, Kris Tompkins, Kakenya Ntaiya, Wade Davis, Nemonte Nenquimo, Carolyn Porco (NASA’s Cassini/Saturn mission), Krithi Karanth, Nainoa Thompson, Wasfia Nazreen, Samuel Ramsey, Sven Lindblad, Lee Berger, and more.

Terry Garcia was the Executive Vice President and Chief Science & Exploration Officer for the National Geographic Society for 17 years. He was responsible for the Society’s core programs, which included more than 400 scientific field research, conservation, and exploration projects annually. Under his leadership, the Society’s programs experienced significant growth in both global impact and prominence. Prior to joining National Geographic, Terry was Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the Deputy Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He also served as NOAA’s General Counsel from 1994 to 1996. In June 2010, he was appointed by President Obama to serve on the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling where he investigated the root causes of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and made recommendations on how to prevent future incidents. In 2011, he received Peru’s highest civilian award, La Orden del Sol del Peru, for his role in helping repatriate a collection of ancient artifacts taken from Machu Picchu in 1912. Terry is currently president of Exploration Ventures, a company that provides strategic advice and counsel to global clients in a range of sectors.

Hamptons Observatory extends its deepest thanks to Terry for generously taking the time to share his expertise, and to co-host East Hampton Library for their kind collaboration.

Hamptons Observatory (HO), a 501(c)(3) New York State nonprofit, has served the community since 2005. Its mission: to foster interest in science, particularly astronomy, through educational programs. Lectures, star parties, portable planetarium shows and other events are held frequently and often in collaboration with other nonprofit organizations. HO has an observatory in East Hampton that it is renovating to make accessible (in-person and remotely) to students, researchers, educators and the general public. Hamptons Observatory offers all of its public programs free-of-charge (although donations are much appreciated) so that everyone can learn about and enjoy the wonders of their universe. Visit https://HamptonsObservatory.org to learn more and to join our email list for news and event notices. While this lecture is free, donations to support our work are deeply appreciated. To make a tax-deductible donation, please go to https://bit.ly/HO-Zeffy Thanks!

This was a tumultuous year for the U.S. Supreme Court because of the unexpected death of justice Antonin Scalia. In 2017, a new president will likely mean the court will finally get a new justice.