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HAPPY BIRTHDAY
To one of the most prolific writers in the history of music...

BENNY GOLSON

Multi-talented-and internationally famous jazz legend, - a composer, arranger, lyricist, producer - and tenor saxophonist of world note. Read more....

In 1995 Golson received the NEA Jazz Masters Award of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Nation's highest honor in jazz is bestowed on eight living legends

Click here: NEA Jazz Masters 1982 to 2010

In October 2007 Golson received the Mellon Living Legend Legacy Award presented by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation at a ceremony at the Kennedy Center.

Additionally, during the same month, he won the University of Pittsburgh International Academy of Jazz Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award at the university's 37th Annual Jazz Concert in the Carnegie Music Hall.

In November 2009, Benny was inducted into the International Academy of Jazz Hall of Fame during a performance at the University of Pittsburgh's annual jazz seminar and concert.

DR. BENNY GOLSON

Golson was born in Philadelphia, PA on January 25, 1929.

Raised with an impeccable musical pedigree, Golson has played in the bands of world famous Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Earl Bostic and Art Blakey.

Few jazz musicians can claim to be true innovators and even fewer can boast of a performing and recording career that literally redefines the term "jazz". Benny Golson has made major contributions to the world of jazz with such jazz standards....Read more click here...




HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDWARD "SONNY" STITT

Edward "Sonny" Stitt (b. February 2, 1924, Boston, Massachusetts – d. July 22, 1982, Washington, D.C. was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. He was also one of the most well-documented saxophonists of his generation, recording over 100 records in his lifetime. He was nicknamed the "Lone Wolf" by jazz critic Dan Morgenstern in tribute to his relentless touring and his devotion to jazz...Click to read more...

Blue Note Jazz Club
131 W. 3rd St
New York, NY 10012
212-475-8592





“All I can say is, if you know Jimmy Heath, you know Bop.”~~~Dizzy Gillespie

Jimmy Heath, tenor saxophone & bandleader

SEE BLOG FOR JIMMY HEATH BIO, DVD, VIDEOS AND MUSIC

THE INSPIRING LIFE OF MYA ANGELOU

Dr. Maya Angelou is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature. As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom. Within the rhythm of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies Angelou's unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of race and Angelou captivates audiences through the vigor and sheer beauty of her words and lyrics. Read more.....

Click here BOOKS

ABBEY LINCOLN
.

Abbey Lincoln "And it's supposed to be love"

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings..



Max Roach - Abbey Lincoln

Abbey Lincoln (born Anna Marie Wooldridge on August 6, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois) is a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. Lincoln is unusual in that she writes and performs her own compositions, expanding the expectations of jazz audiences.

She is one of many singers influenced by Billie Holiday. She has had a very long and productive career. She continues to perform and can often be found at the Blue Note in New York City.

With Ivan Dixon, she co-starred in Nothing But a Man (1964), an independent film written and directed by Michael Roemer. She also co-starred with Sidney Poitier and Beau Bridges in 1968's For Love of Ivy. She was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for For Love of Ivy in 1969.

Abbey Lincoln also appears in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It, for which she interpreted the theme song, working with Benny Carter.

She sang on the 60's landmark jazz civil rights recording, We Insist! - Freedom Now Suite (1960) by jazz musician Max Roach and was married to him from 1962 to 1970. Especially since this album, Abbey Lincoln is connected to the political fight against racism in the United States.

She has worked with other jazz musicians like Sonny Rollins, Eric Dolphy, Coleman Hawkins, Jackie McLean, Clark Terry, Stanley Turrentine, Wynton Kelly, Cedar Walton, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Ron Carter, Miles Davis and made albums with Stan Getz, Mal Waldron and Archie Shepp.

In 2003 she was rewarded with the National Endowment for the Arts', NEA Jazz Masters Award. Read more....

For Love of Ivy - Part (1)

www.iridiumjazzclub.com

Call Iridium Box Office
Reservations - 212-582-2121
Purchase Tickets: Click here

www.wallaceroney.com

Bookings: Click here
Press Kit: Click here
Purchase Music: Click here



Heralded as an "improviser who loves complicated almost mathematical lines and who performs with catlike grace" by the New York Times, trumpeter, composer and bandleader Wallace Roney is one of the most exciting and innovative musicians on the creative music scene. His consummate artistry and eagerness to explore and transcend musical boundaries has led him to collaborate with such diverse musicians as Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Carole King, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Prince, Herbie Hancock and Joni Mitchell, among numerous others~~~Julie Muller Stahl See Blog for more about Wallace Roney (videos, pictures, interviews etc.)

The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival presented in the spirit of the East Coast Jazz Festival will honor the committment to jazz excellence and education by the late Ronnie Wells. We look forward to continuing the Ronnie's legacy with you.

Paul Carr
MAJF
Executive Director

Remember what a great time the old East Coast Jazz Festival always was and what stellar work the beloved ancestor vocalist Ronnie Wells did to make it happen?

Recall how the East Coast Jazz Festival filled those mid-winter blahs around the DC area right after Super Bowl weekend, just when you were dying for springtime; how that event filled that void with an entire weekend of great artists, swinging sounds, fellowship with jazz lovers from across the country, and big fun all under one roof? Well daydream wistfully and regret the loss of that event no more!

See Blog for pictures & videos

SAVE THE DATE: The weekend of February 19-20 and the 29th… as the Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival ignites the return of that big fun at the same great venue – the Hilton Executive Meeting Center in Rockville, MD (formerly the Doubletree Hotel)… for three days of good vibes, great socializing, and opportunities to hear the music as it was (classic sounds in the tradition), as it is (the current scene), and as it will be (the Next Generation)! Read more..

JIMMY HEATH.COM

TEMPLE PRESS
Click HERE to Purchase


Jimmy Heath and Joseph McLaren, foreword by Bill Cosby, introduction by Wynton Marsalis

"I have long admired Jimmy's passion heard so clearly in his music; he is a soulful musician and a consummate educator. In these pages he gives a new voice to his love of life and music. He once told Dr. Camille Cosby that ‘our history is a mystery,’ so here he pulls back the veil and sets forth a wonderful collection of reminiscences culled from a long life of accumulated wisdom."



—Nancy Wilson, song stylist

Composer of more than 100 jazz pieces, three-time Grammy nominee, and performer on more than 125 albums, saxophonist Jimmy Heath has earned a place of honor in the history of jazz. Over his long career, Heath knew many jazz giants, such as Charlie Parker, and played with other innovators, including John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and especially Dizzy Gillespie. Along the way, Heath won both their respect and their friendship.

In this extraordinary autobiography, the legendary Heath creates a “dialogue” with musicians and family members. As in jazz, where improvisation by one performer prompts another to riff on the same theme, I Walked with Giants juxtaposes Heath’s account of his life and career with recollections from jazz giants about life on the road and making music on the world’s stages. His memories of playing with his equally legendary brothers, Percy and Albert (aka “Tootie”), dovetail with their recollections.

Heath reminisces about a South Philadelphia home filled with music and a close-knit family that hosted musicians performing in the city’s then thriving jazz scene. Milt Jackson recalls, “I went to their house for dinner. . . . Jimmy’s father put Charlie Parker records on and told everybody that we had to be quiet till dinner because he had Bird on. . . . When I [went] to Philly, I’d always go to their house.”

Today Heath performs, composes, and works as a music educator and arranger. By turns funny, poignant, and extremely candid, Heath’s story captures the rhythms of a life in jazz.


SEE BLOG FOR JIMMY HEATH BIO, DVD, VIDEOS AND MUSIC

For over 60 years, the legendary Heath Brothers have been synonymous with great jazz. Endurance is their first CD since the passing of their beloved brother, legendary bassist Percy Heath.
“The Philly dynasty [of the Heath Brothers] is what you want to hear—family values with fire, yet cooler than cool.” — Village Voice

JAZZLEGACYPRODUCTIONS.COM

THE ART OF JAZZ VOCALESE

GEORGE V JOHNSON JR
Executive Director
Washington DC Jazz Network
wdcjn@hotmail.com

Join us in the Chatroom
Guest call-in number: (347) 637-3988

CO-HOST

LARRY RIDLEY
Executive Director
AFRICAN AMERICAN JAZZ CAUCUS
212-979-0304

"WORKING TOGETHER WORKS"

Hey G - What an unbelievable honor to interview a Jazz Legend like Mr. Jimmy Heath. I must say that as a Jazz newbie, I found the repertoire of this iconic family truly astounding. Thanks for taking the time to share the richness of Jazz and the beauty of this artist with me through this GREAT STATION and without being condescending. I listened to Mr. Heath's 1972 album "Gap Sealer" and fell in love with "Angel Man"...I was hooked ! I have been searching out more and more of his works and those of his brothers, but I am extreamly partial to VINYL and as long as the penny stays balanced on the diamond tip I'm stay with it ...hahahaa!

Your Interview was a blast...this gentleman still retains his musician's "swagga". He also completely DISPELS that old myth that "..people who can't do - teach" I would listen to him teach any day of the week. I guest that the students of Berklee College Concert Jazz Orchestra, as well as those from the University of Cincinnati feel likewise. I found excerpts of his activities there a treat for my ears (and my toes).

Mr. Heath shared with you valuable memories of playing among the greats in a most whimsical yet poignant manner. Oh, to be there when he shared his horn with BIRD or played with Ella or swung with Dizzy or heard the tap of the Count's baton....wow! I read his book "I walked with Giants" w/ Joseph McClarin. I wish more parents could be as forward thinking and encouraging as his. Wow...a living room filled with aspiring musical geniuses...all with the unwavering support of encouraging parents. I wish that for all our kids, not just a lucky few. I think it would mean more to them then anyone could ever imagine.

Today just caught a brief conversation between Tavis Smiley, Cornel West & Mr. Jimmy Heath and I almost fell off my chair. Can you believe this wonderfully talented icon had those guys in stiches while quoting Rapper Ludacris...Ya gotta catch it. I was awe struck because it opened my eyes to one of the keys to his genius. Nothing is outside his grasp and he uses it all...that makes him exist OUTSIDE of TIME and I think that's essential to remaining in a creative flow

Be Blessed and Keep doin' what you were MADE to do...like the biblical servant entrusted with a number of talents, you have put yours to good use and increased their value, the MASTER is soon to return and you will have much to show Him and I know He will be well pleased. I just love the grove, appreciate the process, am challenged by its evolution and inclusive nature and continue to be in awe of its pioneers~~~Etta Kimbrough - Trenton NJ

And I think you're kinda wonderful! May God Bless your giving heart. And thanks for all you do, not just for me, but all Jazz Musicians. All the best and Much love, Bobbi Humphrey - NYC (The first female to sign with Blue Note Records 1971)

You ARE the Man! :-) Hanging with the heavy hitters - just like yourself. I'm just glad to be in the number...knowing you! And that's the truth! :-) Hope to see you tomorrow. My daughter, Lauren is scheduled to sing "Cry Me A River" during the workshop at Duke Ellington Performing Art School conducted by Janis Segal and Roberta Gambarini. She's my girl - and an awesome talent! I have two great students who are singing as well. Keep up the great work George~~~Lori Anna Williams - Wash DC

It was good seeing you at the Tribute to Ella on Sunday Night. Not only was the show simply delightful, but it was so great seeing old friends like, DeeDee, Jimmy, & Cyrus, Thanks George for all you do to keep JAZZ in the forefront and in our hearts and souls. Have a delightful day, from Delightful Debbie DuCre'

The Heath Brothers, James Moody Quartet featuring George V Johnson Jr, Harold Mabern, Todd Coolman & Eddie Gladden. A Live New Years Celebration Broadcast Coast to Coast 1985

Photography: Bill May

At the time I was doing all the photography for WBGO and have plenty of photographs from that New Year's Eve, including photographs of you, as well as of you from a couple other performances. I will check my very database~~~Bill May

WBGO 88.3 FM Newark NJ


SEE BLOG FOR JIMMY HEATH BIO, DVD, VIDEOS AND MUSIC

Featured in the music player: 1975 Re-Release: Larry Ridley, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Sonny Fortune, Errol Crusher Bennett, Grady Tate, Cornell Dupre. Strata-East was a magical record label. By giving its artists a strong creative voice in their work, it managed to capture a moment in music like no other. An excellent accompanist and a thoughtful soloist, Larry Ridley has appeared on a countless number of sessions as a sideman. He studied at Indiana University and the Lenox School of Jazz. After gigging in his hometown with Freddie Hubbard, James Spaulding, and Wes Montgomery, Ridley relocated to New York, where he has been active ever since. Among his more significant musical associations in the 1960s were with Slide Hampton, Max Roach, Red Garland, Art Farmer, Jackie McLean, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and George Wein's Newport All-Stars (1969). Thelonious Monk's regular bassist during 1970-1973, Ridley became involved in jazz education, heading the jazz program and music department at Rutgers. He worked with Philly Joe Jones' Dameronia (1981-1985) and has been active up until the present time. Larry Ridley only recorded sparingly as a leader (including an obscure Strata East LP in 1975), but he has been a valuable sideman on many dates. Click to purchase:


SEE BLOG FOR JIMMY HEATH BIO, DVD, VIDEOS AND MUSIC


HAPPY BIRTHDAY
SAM COOKE

Samuel "Sam" Cook (January 22, 1931 – December 11, 1964) was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music.

Cooke had twenty-nine top-40 hits in the U.S. between 1957 and 1964. Major hits like "You Send Me", "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Chain Gang", "Wonderful World", and "Bring It on Home to Me" are some of his most popular songs. Cooke was also among the first modern black performers and composers to attend to the business side of his musical career. He founded both a record label and a publishing company as an extension of his careers as a singer and composer. He also took an active part in the American Civil Rights Movement.

On December 11, 1964, Cooke was shot to death by the manager of the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California at the age of 33. At the time, the courts ruled that Cooke was drunk and distressed, and the manager killed Cooke in what was later ruled a justifiable homicide. Since that time, the circumstances of his death have been widely questioned. Read more...

BOBBI HUMPHREY - "FIRST LADY OF FLUTE"
She has been named “First Lady of the Flute” by the critics and listeners alike and, from the accomplishments in her musical career, deservedly so. For three decades now, Bobbi Humphrey has been playing her special brand of music to audiences around the world. Her professional career began in 1971 when she was the first female signed to Blue Note Records.

Available for bookings: Official Site here: www.bobbihumphrey.net

For Bookings Contact: DONNA CERRIO
CLICK FOR CONTACT DETAILS, MUSIC, BIO ETC.

IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB
1650 BROADWAY (CORNER OF 51ST)
NEW YORK, NY 10023
RESERVATIONS: 212-582-2121
/WWW.IRIDIUMJAZZCLUB.COM
SETS AT 8:30 & 10:30PM

JAN. 21-24 JIMMY COBB'S "REMINISCENCE" BAND
Featuring Special Guests
GEORGE CABLES, EDDIE GOMEZ, JAVON JACKSON, WALLACE RONEY


CLICK TO LISTEN TO JIMMY COBB INTERVIEW

SEE BLOG FOR BIO, INTERVIEWS, VIDEOS, MUSIC AND PICS

There’s fresh new content posted at THE INDEPENDENT EAR

Peace,
Willard Jenkins
www.openskyjazz.com
Home of The Independent Ear
Programmer

Listen live wpfw.org
Ancient Future
Thursday 5:00 to 8:00 AM
SEE BLOG FOR MORE DETAILS

For all interested parties:


I will be teaching an advanced writing workshop for the Negro Ensemble Company beginning Wednesday March 10th and extending for eight weeks. The stipulation is that you must have completed the writing of a full length play and you must commit to working on it for the eight weeks duration of the class which ends on Wednesday May 26th.




The workshop is set to begin to Wednesday, March 10th from 7:00 - 9:00 at 303 W. 42nd St, Room 501, the NEC office. Students must have completed a full length play. In order to reserve a space in the class you must contact Beverly Summers, General Manager, at 212-582-5860 and work out a paymet schedule. The fee for the workshop $300.00.


So there, you have it. hope to see you and come prepared to write and listen and then write some more.


Sincerely


Laurence Holder




Author's Bio

Mr. Holder is noted for writing historical, biographical plays such as Zora Neale Hurston at The American Place Theatre (New York City) in 1998 starring Elizabeth Van Dyke and Joseph Edwards, directed by Wyn Handman, and When The Chickens Came Home To Roost starring Denzel Washington as Malcolm X and Kirk Kirksey as Elijah Muhammad, directed by Allie Woods, at The New Federal Theatre (New York City) in 1981. Mr. Holder has won playwrighting awards including the Audience Development Committee Award for Excellence (AUDELCO) twice for When the Chickens Came Home To Roost and M: The Mandela Saga. For the body of his work, The National Black Theatre Festival presented him with both the OTTO for Political Theatre and The Garland Anderson Award. Mr. Holder is also noted for his experimental works including the multilingual BIRD OF PARADISE in 1972 with Ornette Coleman and the URBAN DECALOGUE in 1974 with Jacquie Berger.

In addition to his work as a dramatist Mr. Holder is the author of several volumes of poetry and 7 novels. He has also acted in ZORA:WHU, which featured Yvonne Southerland as the famed novelist. He is the father of 3 children and husband to Andrea, an actress. Mr. Holder is a member of the faculty at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) where he has taught English in the SEEK Department for the past 25 years.

The author is a native New Yorker and has watched the scene change slowly over the last 60 years. Over the last ten years he has made some astounding realizations about the nature and cause of it all, which is reflected and refracted in his work. Read more...


For Production Rights
information contact
Donald Sutton, Agent
Phone: (732) 605-0911
Fax:: (732) 605-0944
Email Donald Sutton

or the author
Laurence Holder
(212) 690-7787
Email Laurence Holder


All rights are firmly copyrighted and reserved




Happy Birthday Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Leader, Humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Born on January 15, 1929.

January 15 is the birthday of the Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was declared a holiday in 1983. However, it was first observed in 1986 -- despite the president Ronald Regan saying it would cause a financial burden. In addition to Reagan, opposition to the bill was led by Senator Jesse Helms, who questioned whether King was important enough to receive such an honor. He was also critical of King's opposition to the Vietnam War, and accused King of having Communist connections. He suggested that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a communist dupe and refused, even decades after King's death, to honor the Nobel Peace Prize winner. He dismissed the civil rights movement as a cabal of communists and "moral degenerates.

A popular musician "Stevie Wonder" spurred a campaign for the holiday, and a petition gathered so many supporting signatures that it was declared the largest petition for an issue in U.S. history.

Martin Luther King Junior was born on January 15, 1929. No one knew the he would later in his life become one of the most well know African Americans in our country. Martin Luther King Junior was born in Atlanta, Georgia in the family home at, 501 Auburn Avenue.

Martin Luther King Junior (MLK Jr.) grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and in 1935 MLK Jr. began school at the all black Yonge Street Elementary School. As MLK Jr. was growing up he had a lot of questions. He was told at age 6 that two of his friends weren’t allowed to play with him because of the differences in their race.Read More

NEA Jazz Masters Profiles 1982-2010

The National Endowment for the Arts has supported jazz artists and organizations since 1969, providing millions of dollars in grants and awards. In 2004, the NEA significantly expanded its NEA Jazz Masters program and in 2005 created the NEA Jazz Masters Initiative, a comprehensive program of jazz support that includes the NEA Jazz Masters Award; NEA Jazz Masters Live, a series of multiple event engagements in selected communities, featuring NEA Jazz Masters; radio programming featuring NEA Jazz Masters; a compilation CD produced by Verve Music Group; educational resources through the NEA Jazz in the Schools program; publications and reports.

National Endowment for the Arts Announces the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters

2010 NEA Jazz Masters photo by Frank Stewart
Chairman Rocco Landesman, Yusef Lateef, Cedar Walton, George Avakian, Muhal Richard Abrams, Bill Holman, Kenny Barron, Annie Ross, Bobby Hutcherson

photo by Frank Stewart

1st row: George Avakian, James Moody, Gerald Wilson, Candido Camero, Frank Foster, Jimmy Heath, Joe Wilder, Chico Hamilton, Roy Haynes

2nd row: Cedar Walton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Muhal Richard Abrams, Billy Taylor, Kenny Barron, Ramsey Lewis, George Wein, Tom McIntosh, Frank Wess, Annie Ross

3rd row: Gunther Schuller, Yusef Lateff, David Baker, Dan Morgenstern, Paquito D'Rivera, Buddy De Franco, Bill Holman, Lee Konitz, Bobby Hutcherson, Jimmy Cobb, Randy Weston. SEE BLOG FOR MORE...


HAPPY BIRTHDAY
FIRST LADY "MICHELLE OBAMA"

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is the wife of the forty-fourth President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States.

Michelle Robinson was born and grew up on the South Side of Chicago. She graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School. After completing her formal education, she returned to Chicago and accepted a position with the law firm Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband. Subsequently, she worked as part of the staff of Chicago mayor Richard M. Daley, and for the University of Chicago Medical Center. Throughout 2007 and 2008, she helped campaign for her husband's presidential bid and delivered a keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. She is the mother of two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and is the sister of Craig Robinson, men's basketball coach at Oregon State University.

Michelle Obama Keynote Address at DNC

From January 15 - January 31, Nkechi Taifa will donate 100% of the online proceeds from her new CD Audio Book, SHINING LEGACY, to the fundraising efforts of the Haiti Support Project's Haiti Relief Fund, a project of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century, a 15 year old project founded by Dr. Ron Daniels.

NKECHI TAIFA'S extraordinary and original storytelling celebrates history, heroes and heroines of the past through dramatic epic, ballad, legend and saga, all accentuated with moving and rhythmic rhyme. Role models range from Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, and Sojourner Truth - to Malcolm X, Denmark Vesey, TOUSSAINT L'OUVERTURE, Paul Robeson, and Marcus Garvey.

Proceeds from all online purchases of Shining Legacy, which includes, "The Saga of Toussaint L'Ouverture" (the Father of the Haitian Revolution," will be donated to support the relief efforts in Haiti. To listen to a 30 second audio clip of Taifa's "Toussaint L'Ouverture, click here - http://movementunes.com/Nkechi/smp1m/03-Toussaint-smpm.mp3 - or visit www.LegacyEmpowerment.com, click on "The Author" to hear sample clips from Taifa's audiobooks.

To order, visit Taifa's online store -
www.Shop.LegacyEmpowerment.com, & purchase SHINING
LEGACY ($15), which includes The Saga of Toussaint L'Ouverture.

Bring Black History Month in strong as all January online proceeds from this CD Audio Book will be donated to the Haitian crisis.

You may also contribute directly with your tax deductible contributions made payable to: Institute of the Black World/HSP, Mail to: 31-35 95th Street, East Elmhurst, NY 11369. For more info please visit www.ibw21.org/quakecontributions.html
SEE BLOG FOR MORE PICTURES, VIDEOS AND STORIES

Happy Birthday Legendary Drummer GRADY TATE January 14, 1932

Born in Durham, N.C., Grady Tate began singing at age four and he began playing drums at age five. For the past 5 decades his distinctive sound has graced literally hundreds of recordings with world-renowned artists. Read More...

I'd like to thank G.V.J. for all this fantastic work, postings and interviews, footage, space, love, and criticism he has done for all of us!!!

I thank you George from the bottom of my heart, just remember there are some folks that want to do more to help you, but just need to find the time. I'm sure that with all these networks up and running no one wants you to fold or throw them off, especially now in the time of peace, giving and a new chance to get better as we all move on in life.

But I understand all the frustration and disappointment because you are not alone with that either! My faith and guidance is from a Higher Power and I fight each day to stay positive, up and motivated, but we need a real community and it takes a group consciousness to make this happen. I wish us all the very best and the wisdom and knowledge to support each other verbally as much as possible, it can save our lifes!

Ronnie Burrage performed with Duke Ellington while only 9 years old.

Peace & Love,

Ronnie Burrage


Frank Morgan with Ronnie Burrage
Wayne Shorter w/ Ronnie Burrage, Larry Coryell, Jim Beard, Jeff Andrews
Woody Shaw, Joe Farrell, Jean Adler, Neil Swainson, Ronnie Burrage
Joe Zawinul Syndicate, Ronnie Burrage, Gerald Veasley,
Amit Chatterjee, Arto Tuncboyaciyan - Isreal

JAZZCLUBSWORLDWIDE.COM

PHILLYJAZZ.ORG
Calendar of Events

Ayanna Gregory Official Site
www.ayannagregory.com
Purchase CD's here...

With the release of her debut CD, “Beautiful Flower”, Ayanna Gregory has introduced herself to the world. For this soul singer, songwriter, and agent of change, music is more than entertainment; it is her mission. And with penetrating depth, Ayanna sings songs that make audiences feel and heal. In a time so needy of real music, Ayanna promises to bring to the world a most beautiful and meaningful brand of Soul Music.

MARIA JACOBS
Washington DC Jazz Network page

Listen to "EQUINOX"

www.mariajacobs.com

Raised in a musical family out of Cleveland, Ohio, Maria has always
been surrounded by diversity in music that reached far beyond what could be found in record stores. From the tender age of five she has sung in her church choir where eastern melodies and percussion were heard from the Melkite Catholic Mass. In the fourth grade Maria began fifteen years of classical flute study and some piano, gaining a new appreciation for European melody and harmony through much practice and listening.

Maria's first encounters with live music were with her father Mike Jacobs, a drummer who frequently brought Maria to the bandstand to render her interpretations of favorite standards on which she was raised. All of these rich, early experiences lead to superior ratings in flute competitions throughout high school, a music scholarship at The Ohio State University and singing jazz in area night clubs.

Upon graduating from college with a degree in Broadcast Journalism, Maria started working with several jazz stations as a disc jockey, but it was in Cleveland that she met up with friend and mentor Bobby Jackson, three-time Gavin radio "Person of the Year." The musical director of then 24-hour jazz station WCPN hired her as his research assistant. It was here that she realized she would forever be a enmeshed in music, absorbing all she could from her various surroundings.

Maria has become bi-coastal, living in Ohio and Los Angeles, and has now worked with some of the finest musicians in the world. She took up the additional residency upon the coaxing of Alphonso Johnson, who also encouraged her to fulfill her musical journey. He introduced her to Brazilian Pop and Jazz recording artist Kevyn Lettau, with whom she studied privately for three years, and later followed to the Los Angeles Music Academy for more group study in vocal improvisation and technique.

Today, her skills have rendered her close to one hundred original songs.

Maria has been the opening act for Chuck Mangione and was the featured vocalist opening for Bob Dorough in Columbus Ohio.

She has jammed with the likes of jazz greats Nancy Wilson and Grover Washington, Jr also in Ohio. In LA, she has recorded with bassist, Alphonso Johnson and drummer Ndugu Chancler, both formerly of Weather Report.

Other musicians Maria has worked with include: Bob Conti, Tony Dumas, Ralph Penland, Greg Poree, George Gaffney, Tom Garvin, Earl Palmer, Ernie McDaniel, Richard Sherman, Geoffrey Aymar, Sherry Luchette, Greg Bandy, and Wilford Middlebrooks. She has participated in master classes of some of the fines vocalists in the business including: Marni Nixon, Roland Wyatt, Betty Carter, Diane Reeves, and Rhiannon.

Maria is a member the Songwriters Guild and ASCAP. She taught K-8 for two years and still teaches privately in her home studio. Read more and listen to Maria's muisic

Critics have their purposes, and they're supposed to do what they do, but sometimes they get a little carried away with what they think someone should have done, rather than concerning themselves with what they did~~~Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, Washington DC

Chocolate News	Wednesdays 10:30pm / 9:30c
Uncensored - Toots to Poots
www.comedycentral.com
Joke of the Day Stand-Up Comedy Free Online Games

The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival presented in the spirit of the East Coast Jazz Festival will honor the committment to jazz excellence and education by the late Ronnie Wells. We look forward to continuing the Ronnie's legacy with you.

Paul Carr
MAJF
Executive Director

Remember what a great time the old East Coast Jazz Festival always was and what stellar work the beloved ancestor vocalist Ronnie Wells did to make it happen?

Recall how the East Coast Jazz Festival filled those mid-winter blahs around the DC area right after Super Bowl weekend, just when you were dying for springtime; how that event filled that void with an entire weekend of great artists, swinging sounds, fellowship with jazz lovers from across the country, and big fun all under one roof? Well daydream wistfully and regret the loss of that event no more!


See Blog for pictures & videos

SAVE THE DATE: The weekend of February 19-20 and the 29th… as the Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival ignites the return of that big fun at the same great venue – the Hilton Executive Meeting Center in Rockville, MD (formerly the Doubletree Hotel)… for three days of good vibes, great socializing, and opportunities to hear the music as it was (classic sounds in the tradition), as it is (the current scene), and as it will be (the Next Generation)! Read more...

JAZZICONS.COM

SEE BLOG FOR MORE DETAILS...


ART4U.COM

Hi George! Thanks for the connection.MARK COTTMAN

The Feeling of Jazz by Mark Cottman

Can't We All Just Swim Along

The inspiration for 'Can't We All Just Swim Along' came to me in a dream. Like most of my dreams, this one was filled with wonderful thoughts, images, and emotions. I was overwhelmed and delighted by all of the many colorful faces during my sleep. I remembered how the fish swam closely together, but in a state of tranquility and harmony within a vast space of beautiful, clear water.

As the days passed, the vision of the fish remained with me. I knew that this dream had a purpose. It gave me insight and hope; it inspired me to create a painting that would represent the feelings I had experienced throughout the dream. For me, the painting has become a symbol for world peace.

I dream that peace will one day fill the land like fish fill the seas.

Mark Cottman
1Artist4Peace.com

JOHN COLTRANE...The man who gave us the gift "A Love Supreme" and so much more...

Washington DC's Samuel L. Jackson with Halle Berry and Spike Lee out on the town...

WHO WE ARE: OVERVIEW AND MISSION STATEMENT

www.oyepalaverhut.org


Dear Washington DC Jazz Network,

Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to discuss the Artist-in-Residence program for adult and juvenile inmates at the DC Correctional Institution.



The Artist-in-Residence Program is an outgrowth from a Storytelling/Poetry grant DC Commission on the Arts awarded me for my City Arts Projects in 2008. A 12-week 2-hour workshop entitled, “Renewing the Spirit of Prisoners through Storytelling and Poetry.” Recognizing the power of storytelling to transform lives and heal wounds caused by drugs and alcohol addictions, the project employed the West African storytelling oral traditions and culturally relevant poetry to boost inmates’ literacy skills.

Vera Oye' Yaa-Anna is a Liberian-born artist who transports her audience to Africa through interactive storytelling, dance and drumming. Using the transformative power of storytelling, she teaches inmates how to craft and tell their "illuminating and inspiring" life stories to ease their reentry into everyday life.

WPFW.ORG

Oye' Palaver Hut is requesting the assistance of WPFW in collecting used (not broken) musical instruments for juvenile and adult inmates at the DC Jail, to support our on-going Storytelling/Music Project.

The program has been very successful in promoting the utilization of the performing arts for healing. We believe that creativity and the arts have the power to uplift, teach, build communities, inspire, heal, and transform lives.

Very often after learning vocal harmonies and playing drums, the inmates requested that we bring keyboards, guitars and wind instruments to broaden the experience.

THE AFRICANS ARE COMING!

In the beginning Africans were brought to the United States as slaves. In the 1800s, my Ancestors returned to West Africa, giving me the opportunity to come to the United States of America by my own free will. Today, Africans are coming to America in great numbers for a variety of reasons. Africans are not coming with their Lappas and baskets, begging for handouts. These talented Africans are asking for moral support and the opportunity to share Africa’s artistic treasures and gifts. In our Global Village, there is cause for celebrating the arrival of the Africans! Read more..

You are invited to visit the website and share your experience with us. On behalf of my Creator and Ancestors I say besame' -- thank you for your support.

Vera Oye' Yaa-Anna
Palaver Hut Incorporated
A West African Culinary Theatre
202-773-5446

WWW.OYEPALAVERHUT.ORG
SEE BLOG FOR MORE DETAILS

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
KENNY CLARKE

Kenny Clarke (born Kenneth Spearman Clarke, nicknamed "Klook", and later known as Liaqat Ali Salaam, on January 9, 1914 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-died January 26, 1985 in Montreuil-sous-bois, France) was a jazz drummer and an early innovator of the bebop style of drumming. As the house drummer at Minton's Playhouse in the early 1940s, he participated in the after hours jams that led to the birth of Be-Bop, which in turn led to modern jazz. While in New York, he played with the major innovators of the emerging bop style, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Curly Russell and others, as well as musicians of the prior generation, including Sidney Bechet.

Early career

Clarke came from a musical family, and studied multiple instruments, including vibes and trombone, as well as music theory and composition, while still in high school. While still a teenager in Pittsburgh, Clarke played in the bands of Leroy Bradley and Roy Eldridge. He toured around the Midwest for several years with the Jeter-Pillars band, which also featured bassist Jimmy Blanton and guitarist Charlie Christian. By 1935, Clarke was more frequently in New York, where he eventually moved. He worked in groups led by Edgar Hayes and Lonnie Smith, and began developing the rhythmic concepts that would later define his contribution to the music.

Bebop and the ride cymbal

While working in the bands of Edgar Hayes and Roy Eldridge, Clarke began experimenting with moving the time-keeping role from the combination of snare drum or hi-hat and bass drum to embellished quarter notes on the ride cymbal- the familiar "ding-ding-da-ding" pattern, which Clarke is often credited with inventing. This new approach incorporated the bombs, or syncopated accents on the bass drum, developed by Jo Jones, while further freeing up the left hand to play more syncopated figures. Under Roy Eldridge, who encouraged this new approach to time keeping, Clarke wrote a series of exercises for himself to develop the independence of the bass drum and snare drum, while maintaining the time on the ride cymbal. One of these passages, a combination of a rim shot on the snare followed directly by a bass drum accent, earned Clarke his nickname, "Klook", which was short for "Klook-mop", in imitation of the sound this combination produced. This nickname was enshrined in "Oop Bop Sh'Bam," recorded by Dizzy Gillespie in 1946 with Clarke on drums, where the scat lyric to the bebop tune goes "oop bop sh'bam a klook a mop."

Clarke himself claimed that these stylistic elements were already in place by the time he put together the famous house band at Minton's Playhouse, which hosted Monk, Parker, Gillespie, Russell, saxophonist Don Byas and many others while serving as the incubator of the emerging small group sound. The combination of the improvised accents on the snare and bass drum, and the sonority of the ringing ride cymbal carrying the time revolutionized the sound and dynamic of the jazz combo. As producer Ross Russell summed up the role of the ride cymbal:

"The vibration of the cymbal, once set in motion, is maintained throughout the number, producing a shimmering texture of sound that supports, agitates, and inspires the line men. This is the tonal fabric of bebop jazz."

Clarke's innovation set the stage for the development of the bebop combo, which relied heavily on improvised exchanges between drummer and soloist to propel the music forward. For this, "every drummer" Ed Thigpen said, "owes him a debt of gratitude." Read More...Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
MAX ROACH

MAX ROACH

Max Roach...
Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) is generally considered one of the most important drummers in history.[citation needed] He worked with many of the greatest jazz musicians, including Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins and Clifford Brown.

Roach also led his own groups, and made numerous musical statements relating to the civil rights movement of African-Americans.

As a young man, Mr. Roach, a percussion virtuoso capable of playing at the most brutal tempos with subtlety as well as power, was among a small circle of adventurous musicians who brought about wholesale changes in jazz. He remained adventurous to the end.

Over the years he challenged both his audiences and himself by working not just with standard jazz instrumentation, and not just in traditional jazz venues, but in a wide variety of contexts, some of them well beyond the confines of jazz as that word is generally understood.

He led a “double quartet” consisting of his working group of trumpet, saxophone, bass and drums plus a string quartet. He led an ensemble consisting entirely of percussionists. He dueted with uncompromising avant-gardists like the pianist Cecil Taylor and the saxophonist Anthony Braxton. He performed unaccompanied. He wrote music for plays by Sam Shepard and dance pieces by Alvin Ailey. He collaborated with video artists, gospel choirs and hip-hop performers.

Mr. Roach explained his philosophy to The New York Times in 1990: “You can’t write the same book twice. Though I’ve been in historic musical situations, I can’t go back and do that again. And though I run into artistic crises, they keep my life interesting.”

He found himself in historic situations from the beginning of his career. He was still in his teens when he played drums with the alto saxophonist Charlie Parker, a pioneer of modern jazz, at a Harlem after-hours club in 1942. Within a few years, Mr. Roach was himself recognized as a pioneer in the development of the sophisticated new form of jazz that came to be known as bebop.

He was not the first drummer to play bebop — Kenny Clarke, 10 years his senior, is generally credited with that distinction — but he quickly established himself as both the most imaginative percussionist in modern jazz and the most influential. Read More about Max Roach..

Nearly three decades have passed since that glorious 1981 evening, when an audience of three thousand gathered in the cathedral of St. John the Divine to hear what Max Roach called a “Grand Collaboration”: a concert by M’Boom and the World Saxophone Quartet. For those who were there and those who weren’t, this “Great Collaboration” is an eagerly anticipated sequel, an event that promises to get 2010 off to a roaring start. This time, the two legendary ensembles convene for a week at Birdland, January 19-23.

Roach founded M’Boom in 1970, as the first ensemble consisting entirely of Western and non-Western percussion instruments, ranging from vibraphone, marimba, and tympani to steel drums, timbales, and glockenspiels. M’Boom, which has numbered as many as 10 players, now includes three of its founding member, Joe Chambers, Warren Smith, and Ray Mantilla, along with Eli Fountain, and Steve Barrios. The World Saxophone Quartet, founded in 1976, is the most celebrated saxophone ensemble in jazz history, and is made up of three founding members: David Murray, Hamiet Bluiett, and Oliver Lake, plus James Carter in the seat originally occupied by Julius Hemphill. These two ensembles fuse together with an almost mystical cohesion, intensity, and flat-out joy.

M’BOOM : Joe Chambers / Warren Smith / Ray Mantilla / Eli Fountain / Steve Berrios

World Saxophone Quartet : David Murray / Hamiett Bluiett / Oliver Lake / James Carter

BIRDLAND

Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street between 8th and 9th avenues in Manhattan. Call 212-581-3080 for reservations and information- Unless noted, show times are at 8.30 and 11 PM.

Jazz Inside NY Magazine - January issue - 112 pages is designed for jazz lovers worldwide. This issue features saxophonist Sonny Rollins on the cover and an in-depth interview.

Sonny celebrates his 80th Birthday later this year. In this interview, he talks about his life and career, and shares the wisdom of his years.

Jazz Inside Magazine's 2010 Pull-Out Jazz Photo Wall Calendar - is a 24-page full-color section featuring photos of Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, Sonny Rollins, and 18 other influential jazz artists and legends. Each of the twelve, two-page spreads - one for each month - that are 11 inches wide by 17 inches tall, each feature photos on the top panel and then a full month calendar on the bottom. The January issue also features the first of Jazz Inside's Bi-Monthly Education Workshops. This section is a full 20-pages, with an array of content for those who make music or want to, from beginner to advanced. The section is packed with instructional articles on music and improvisation, practice ideas, a transcription of Kenny Barron's improvised solo on "Unit Seven" (composed by Sam Jones), a study on the drum style of Art Blakey including a solo transcription by Dave Miele. There are also reviews of instructional books and materials, and an interview with Chuck Sher, creator of educational music books, including The New Real Book series. For more details read more...



HAPPY BIRTHDAY
STEVE WILLIAMS

STEVE WILLIAMS
ABRUSHFIRE.COM
MYSPACE.COM
stevewilliams@abrushfire.com

Steve Williams (born January 7, 1956) is an American jazz drummer.

He acquired his titles of nobility serving, for twenty five years, one of the greatest jazz pianists and singers Shirley Horn.

Williams was born in Rochester, New York and grew up in Washington, DC. He continued his music education at the University of Miami. There he joined Monty Alexander's band, with whom he started to perform on the international scene. He furthered his music education in New York, with Billy Hart.

Back in Washington, Williams played locally with John Malachi at the Pigfoot, George V Johnson Jr, Rueben Brown, Buck Hill, Keter Betts, Milt Jackson, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Williams, Woodie Shaw, Gary Bartz, Eddie Henderson, John Hicks, Larry Willis, Mulgrew Miller and many others. He joined Gary Thomas' band, with whom he recorded one of his first compositions, "Pads".

SHIRLEY HORN OBITUARY

Then he joined Shirley Horn, who would keep for twenty-five years the same rhythm section: Charles Ables (bass) and Steve Williams (drums). Critic Don Heckman wrote in the Los Angeles Times (February 2, 1995) about "the importance of bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams to the Horn's sound. Click to see blog with pictures, videos and more..

Steve Williams Birthday Should Be A National Holiday! I am adding it to my calendar as such. GVJ, thanks for the heads up!~~~William Brower






JAZZ AVENUES
by Steve Monroe

NETWORKING FOR OUR HERITAGE:

The new Washington Jazz Network is the product of one of our area’s tireless promoters of the heritage, George V. Johnson Jr., whose network aims to help musicians, and the venues where they play and create a new worldwide community devoted to jazz.

Johnson, the vocalese master who has performed with many of the greats like John Malachi, Eddie Jefferson, Keter Betts, James Moody, Lou Donaldson, Pharoah Sanders, John Hicks, Harold Mabern, Dr. Art Davis, George Coleman, Frank Foster, Barry Harris, Arnold Sterling, Buck Hill, Wallace Roney, Donald Harrison, and many others, said he started the site 'THE WASHINGTON DC JAZZ NETWORK on Christmas day 2008, as a place for musicians to meet and network; (Vocalese is the setting of lyrics to established jazz orchestral instrumentals.)

Members include, jazz lovers, musicians, doctors, lawyers, teachers, and many professional people from all over the world are coming to the site; said Johnson, who said the site had about 130 members in less than a month, with a 500 hundred visits to the site every day. I think soon it could be up to a thousand a day, as this network grows and word gets around, he said. Johnson added, I came up with the idea because (NING is a great platform for people to create their own social networks) gives us all the opportunity to use the Internet as a viral marketing tool.

We can share ideas, music, dialogue, forums, news and connect with musicians and other jazz enthusiasts with just one click of a button around the world in a matter of seconds. It puts us all on an equal playing field. United we stand while exploring the world of Jazz~~~JAZZ AVENUES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
CHANO POZO

Luciano "Chano" Pozo Gonzales (January 7, 1915 - December 2, 1948) was a percussionist, singer, dancer and composer who played a major role in the founding of Latin jazz.

Born in Havana to father Cecelio Gonzales, a bootblack. Chano’s family struggled with poverty throughout his youth, raised with three sisters and a brother, as well as his older half brother, Felix Chapottin. His mother Carnacion Pozo, to whom his father was married, died when Chano was eleven, and Cecelio took his family to live with his long time mistress, Natalia, who was Felix’s mother.

Chano showed an early interest in playing drums, and performed ably in Afro-Cuban religious ceremonies in which drumming was a key element. The family lived for many years at El Africa solar, a former slave quarters, by all accounts a foul and dangerous place, where it was said even the police were afraid to venture.

In this environment criminal activities flourished, and Chano learned the ways of the street as means of survival. He dropped out of school after the third grade and earned a solid reputation as a rowdy tough guy, big for his age and exceptionally fit. He spent his days playing drums, fighting, drinking, and engaging in petty criminal activities, the latter of which would land him a sentence in a youth reformatory. There are no official records documenting the crime for which he was sentenced, though at least one account has him causing the accidental death of a foreign tourist, adding to a record of thievery, assault, and truancy. At the age of 13, Chano was sent to the reformatory in Guanajay, where he learned to read and write, study auto body repair, and hone his already exceptional skill with a variety of drums. Click to Read More....

WWW.JAZZPROMOSERVICES.COM

THE JAZZ STANDARD
www.jazzstandard.net
116 East 27 Street
New York, NY 10016-8942
(212) 576-2232

Friday - Sunday January 15 - 17
George Coleman Quartet




George Coleman - Isn't She Lovely (1 of 2) 1983
George Coleman - Isn't She Lovely (2 of 2) 1983

George Coleman is a living legend of the tenor saxophone whose 57–year career has led him from B.B. King to Max Roach to Miles Davis. Beginning in 1963,

George recorded with Miles on four classic albums – Seven Steps to Heaven, My Funny Valentine, Four and Miles Davis in Europe – alongside Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. George has led his own bands since 1973, working in quartet, quintet and octet settings, and appearing as a prized guest soloist with such notable pianists as Ahmad Jamal, Richie Beirach and the late Tete Montoliu. He has released more than a dozen discs as a leader on such labels as Verve, Muse, Timeless, and Evidence including At Yoshi’s (1987) and My Horns of Plenty (1992). “Coleman is a marvel; there isn't a sax player who knows his instrument better, or one who imparts so much knowledge in every marathon solo.” (The New Yorker)

CLICK TO SEE BLOG: PICTURES, VIDEOS, BIO

Featured in the music player "WALTZING WESTWARD"~~~Harold Mabern

George Coleman Octet feat Harold Mabern - Waltzing Westward

THE GEORGE V JOHNSON JR SHOW

CLICK TO LISTEN HAROLD MABERN INTERVIEW

GEORGE COLEMAN JR. is the son of legendary tenor saxophonist George Coleman.

THE ARTS LEAGUE OF MICHIGAN
VIRGIL H. CARR CULTURAL ARTS CENTER
311 E. Grand River
Detroit, Mi 48226
See Map

JANUARY 16TH
AWARDS PARTY
Kresge Foundation Names Detroit Trumpeter Marcus Belgrave 2009 Eminent Artist $50K

Marcus and Joan Belgrave
SEE BLOG FOR BIO, VIDEOS AND MUSIC

I just love the grove, appreciate the process, am challenged by its evolution and inclusive nature and continue to be in awe of its pioneers. Jazz is a place where windows of acceptance remain open and as a result its acceptance and growth expands and transcends economical-geo-political-cultural limitations to include an amateur chubby crooner like me~~~Etta Kimbrough, Trenton N.J.

My Definition of Leadership

Percy Sutton, attorney for Malcolm X, dies at 89

NEW YORK – Percy Sutton, the pioneering civil rights attorney who represented Malcolm X before launching successful careers as a political power broker and media mogul, has died. He was 89.

Marissa Shorenstein, a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson, confirmed that Sutton died Saturday. She did not know the cause. His daughter, Cheryl Sutton, declined to comment Saturday when reached by phone at her New York City home.

The son of a slave, Percy Sutton became a fixture on 125th Street in Harlem after moving to New York City following his service with the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. His Harlem law office, founded in 1953, represented Malcolm X and the slain activist's family for decades.

Associated Press
Read More..



A pioneer, Renaissance man, and visionary, Percy Ellis Sutton is a businessman and lawyer who has served as: a Tuskegee Airman, Malcolm X’s attorney, Borough President of Manhattan, and founder of both the Inner City Broadcasting Corporation and Synematics, Inc., a high technology internet and interactive software company.

For many years, Percy Sutton was the attorney for Malcolm X. After Malcolm's death, Sutton continued to represent the Shabazz family, when needed, without cost. The Sutton and Covington law firm, always socially conscious, handled many cases without cost. See blog for videos, pictures and bio

CAROLYN MALACHI...
ORGANIC SOUL
featured in music player

Hailing from the Washington, DC / Baltimore region, vocalist, producer and über smart chick Carolyn Malachi’s introduces music lovers to "Revenge of the Smart Chicks II: Ambitious Gods." , She calls her brand of music "haute eclectic soular blues."

Malachi, who is the great-granddaughter of jazz pianist John Malachi, has created her own modern infectious gumbo of jazz, hip hop, and spoken word. ROTSC II is the stirring and genre bending follow-up to her 2008 debut "Revenge of the Smart Chicks." The first project spawned a movement, blog and the non-profit Smart Chicks Inc. The organization is dedicated to developing visibility and leadership opportunities for women in the arts. Read more...

PHILADELPHIA'S BEST
DENISE KING
"The Nearnest of You"
featured in the music player

Philadelphia is blessed with great singers. Perhaps it's because we're such a musical town ... Whatever the cause, we've got a lot to be thankful for, and one listen to Denise King will turn you into a believer too!

Denise is a no-nonsense singer, whose naturally beautiful voice, vibrato and phrasing please musicians as well as fans. With over four wonderful CDs to her name, Denise spreads the work around to lots of our musicians, giving each a character of its own. From May - September she produces a series of Friday night Firehouse Concerts. Watch the Calendar !! You can check out her Web Page and even order her CDs there !! Listen to more of D.K.'s music here..

JUSTICE FOR JAZZ ARTIST
New York City jazz musicians deserve a retirement like anyone else. Sign our petition to help them earn pension payments from NYC jazz clubs — at no cost to the clubs or musicians.


JAZZ FOR JUSTICE

Habari Gani ! Umoja Kwanza ya Furaha salnu ya penda.-JAJA

UNA BONITA
Featured in music player

On behalf of JAJA and Talking Drum Productions we wish you all a very merry and peaceful holiday, and thank you so much for your support we really appreciate it all the best fam.

JAJA & TAKING DRUM PRODUCTIONS

Errand Girl Blog

Thanks to George for the great work he provides on Washington DC Jazz Network. His passion and dedication for jazz brings us all together during the year.

Happy Holidays to you all and to an even jazzier New Year!

Joy Foster
SV Media Relations

The Musicians Foundation helps professional musicians by providing emergency financial assistance in meeting current living, medical and allied expenses.

Requests are handled by application which is available on the Internet and by mail from the Musicians Foundation, 875 Sixth Avenue, Room 2303, New York, NY 10001. You can also request one by telephone at 212.239.9137 or by E-mail from info@musiciansfoundation.org.

We Serve deserving musicians by providing financial assistance to those who need help in meeting current living, medical and allied expenses. Rising costs rob our recipients of the basic financial freedom they deserve in their time of need. Financial help is viewed as an opportunity to say "Thank You" to those who have given so much to enhance the quality of musical life in our land.

We Must increase our endowment resources. We make grants from income only. Musicians Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit, tax exempt public charity and all gifts are tax exempt by law.




Please Help No amount is too small, and we ask you to be generous.
Click Amount: $

HUMAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT
866.767.7671 help@singers.org

SOCIETY OF SINGERSOFFICIAL SITE
SOCIETY OF SINGERS RESOURCES
SOCIETY OF SINGERS BOARD MEMBERS



FINANCIAL AID
ELIGIBILITY: Any individual who has derived his/her primary income as a professional singer for 5 years and more may qualify for services. Requests for assistance must be emergency in nature and made by singers who have dire financial needs. All services provided are confidential.

SOS helps singers whose circumstances are due to personal, family, and/or medical crises. Charitable grants may be provided for basic needs including food, shelter, utilities, transportation, and medical/dental expenses such as substance abuse rehab, psychotherapy and HIV/AIDS treatment. Grants are paid directly to creditors. SOS cannot assist with credit card and tax debts, loans, coaching, demos, headshots and other music projects.

To request an Application For Assistance please call the Human Services department. Applications must be submitted with 5 years of career documentation, current income verification for all household members, current bank statements, latest tax return, and copies of any bills for which aid is being requested.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Thank You, have a great end of Year!!
Many Blessings to you!!
Nam

Dear George,

Thanks for your comment and ¨Minds of Glass¨
Merry Christmas and a happy blessed New Years to you and yours..¨
Regards
Marta

SKY JAZZ INTERNET RADIO

VOCALSCIENCE.COM

The Royans Professional Vocal School
Located in Toronto, ON, Canada
Serving the Greater Toronto Area since 1984
Expert Singing Lessons for All Ages and Levels of Singers -
Aspiring Beginners
Intermediate and Advanced Vocalists
Professional Singers and Recording Artists

VOICE REPAIR

Phone:
In Toronto, Canada call 416-229-0976
In North America call Toll Free 1-888-229-TUNE (8863)
Outside of North America Call Collect 416-229-0976
Email: info@vocalscience.com

Woody Shaw, Jr. was born in Laurinburg, N.C. on December 24th, 1944 to Rosalie Pegues Shaw and Woody Shaw, Sr. He grew up in Newark, New Jersey, and began playing trumpet at the age of 11. Shaw attended Arts High School in Newark where he studied trumpet and music theory with Jerome Ziering. Newark has a rich Jazz history and many notable Jazz artists are originally from there, including Sarah Vaughan, Wayne Shorter, Eddie Gladden, Larry Young, and Grachan Moncur III. His first major inspirations, in terms of the trumpet, came from listening to Louis Armstrong, Harry James, and then Clifford Brown.

Woody found out later that he had picked up the trumpet during the same month and year that Brown passed away. This was an auspicious sign for him and he felt that there was a "higher" reason for this; that it confirmed a deeper connection and purpose regarding his place within the lineage of the trumpet masters. His other primary influences were, of course, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Booker Little, Freddie Hubbard, and Lee Morgan. Woody particularly felt a strong connection to Dizzy because of the fact that his father (Woody, Sr.) and Dizzy had gone to high school together at Laurinburg Institute in North Carolina. Woody Shaw, Sr. had been a Gospel singer with the Diamond Jubilee Singers in the 1930s.

In 1963, after many local professional jobs, Woody worked for Willie Bobo (with Chick Corea and Joe Farrell) and also performed and recorded as a sideman with Eric Dolphy. The following year, Dolphy invited Shaw to join him in Paris, however, Dolphy suddenly died shortly before Shaw's departure. He decided to make the trip nonetheless, and found steady work in Paris with close friend Nathan Davis and such musicians as Bud Powell, Kenny Clarke, Johnny Griffin, and Art Taylor.

MAPLESHADE RECORDS

Mapleshade is a label by - and for - people who love fine jazz and blues and who appreciate excellence in recorded sound.

Wildchild!, our other label, serves listeners who love roots-based American music, raw and exciting, full of the life that commercial studios can't capture.

World-class musicians, some famous, some unknown, record for us. They are honored guests at our studio, an historic, secluded plantation house with warm, natural acoustics. In this creative and unpressured atmosphere, freed of time limits, our artists are inspired to play with more innovation and fire.

For recording studio inquires and to contact Pierre Sprey please email pierre@mapleshaderecords.com.

Mapleshade operates from two locations. Our primary business office and mail-order facility is located in downtown Baltimore. Please use this address for most billing/shipping situations:

Mapleshade North
1100 Wicomico Street
5th Floor, Suite 535
Baltimore, MD 21230

Mapleshade Studio is located in Upper Marlboro, MD - roughly 50 minutes south of Baltimore. Please use this address for studio inquires, demo submissions, and other correspondence/deliveries for Pierre Sprey and Larry Willis:

Mapleshade South
5311 Solomons Island Road
Lothian, MD 20711

JOE LEE WILSON

"THE LADIES FORT""

"Music is a healing force," said Mr. Wilson, as he stood waiting to perform at the second floor theatre of the Greenwich Music School on Sunday night, September 30, for a tribute to Greenwich Village firemen who died at the World Trade Center attack. The event was organized by jazz pianist Fiona Bicket and the singer Zoe.

"Joe Lee," as he is affectionately known, had come to New York to promote his new CD, "Feelin' Good," (Candidrecords.com) just before September 11th. That night he sang "Goin' Home," "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," "Jazz Ain't Nothin' But Soul," and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," with his beautiful baritone voice sculpting sounds like horn player, beating riffs out like a drum.

Mr. Wilson is about six feet tall and has the bearing of a tribal chief, with a warm, charismatic stage presence. He is part native American from the Creek Nation. He plays guitar and piano and has written original songs which combine jazz with native American poetic ideas, scales and rhythmic motifs.

Joe Lee Wilson and Joan Cartwright

During his visit he was featured at concerts in New York and New Jersey, and at private functions sponsored by Amiri Baraka (aka poet Leroy Jones). Passing through Manhattan, Joe Lee sat in on bebop guru Barry Harris's vocal class, which takes place every Tuesday at a community center on West 65th Street. "Every time I come here I'm nervous because I know he's going to call on me, like … 'Joe Lee, show them how to do it,'" he said, after singing a chorus on Ellington's 'Lucky So and So. Read more...

TRANESTOP RESOURCE INSTITUTE, INC.
500 EAST WASHINGTON LANE, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19144-1011
FAX: 215-438-5704
THETRANESTOP@COMCAST.NET

This Site is a wonderful experience. George V Johnson Jr - You are the Bomb - Always Creative and Resourceful. We are so Proud of to Know You.

You can not afford to miss this Trane!

Enjoy the Holidays Everyone
Rosalind Plummber, ESQ
Attorney At Law


THE TRANESTOP



Hi George,

As a fellow producer of Jazz music and musicians, I would like to take this time out to thank you and congratulate you on the success of your Jazz Network website, helping to keep folks informed on what's happening in the world of Jazz as well as paying tribute to our legends who are no longer with us and interviewing and honoring those who are still with us.

You are truly a treasure who deserves a treasure chest for the work you are doing!!!

Keep up the Mavtastic work,

Rome Neal
aka MONK


Produced by George V Johnson Jr and ran for 4 months...

I love Fine Art and Music~~~Deborah Yanez

Thanks! for the invite! I miss the DC jazz scene! I used to play with John Malachi, George V Johnson Jr, Marshall Keys, Gail Dixon, Steve Williams and many more at the "PIGFOOT" owned by guitarist Bill Harris. It's great to be connected with the jazz world especially being out here on the Island of Guam in the Pacific Zone. Anyway! Merry Xmas to you all and a Happy New Year! Carlos Laguana

Joe Pyne Interviews Godfrey Cambridge
Watermelon Man Part 1/10

Godfrey MacArthur Cambridge (February 26, 1933 - November 29, 1976) was a great American comedian and actor. He was especially popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s as a regular guest on The Merv Griffin Show and other talk shows. He had originally received a scholarship to study medicine but opted for an acting career instead.

Cambridge appeared both on stage and screen. Memorable film roles include Watermelon Man, where he plays the lead character, a white bigot who one day wakes up and discovers his skin color has turned to black, and The President's Analyst, where he plays a depressed government agent. He also had a starring role in the 1970 Ossie Davis adaptation of the Chester Himes novel Cotton Comes to Harlem of the same name. He perhaps reached his largest audience in a series of comical television commercials for Jockey brand underwear.

LISTEN TO WPFW JAZZ AND JUSTICE
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Brother AhBorn in North Carolina in 1934 and raised in the south Bronx, Brother Ah was playing jazz trumpet in local clubs with legendary alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons by the time he was fifteen. He went on to study classical French horn at the Manhattan School of Music and then at the Vienna State Academy. Returning fromAustria in 1958, he played with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, and numerous Broadway theater orchestras. At the same time, he became one of the most sought after jazz French horn players in New York, performing and recording throughout the sixties and early seventies with major artists such as Gil Evans, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard, Sun Ra, Dizzy Gillespie, Eric Dolphy, John Lewis, and Max Roach.

In the late sixties, Brother Ah's interest in non-Western music intensified, starting with studies of Indian and Japanese music. Moving to Dartmouth College in 1970 gave him even more opprotunity to hear and play with non-Western musicians. Brother Ah spent 1972 in Ghana, a year of spiritual and musical transformation. Soon after returning to the United States in early 1973, he concieved a music that fused Third World traditions with jazz and European elements. He almost immediately started composing and performing this new music with his New York group, The Sounds of Awareness. Within another year the group recorded an album, Move Ever Onward , almost certainly the pioneering recording of what is now know as world (or multi-cultural) music.

In 1974, Brother Ah took another teaching position at Brown University and then, in 1982, moved to the Levine School Of Music in Washington D.C. Over this entire period he created, performed and refined the continuing stream of compositions that form the repertoire of the World Music Ensemble. In addition to leading the Ensemble, Brother Ah is currently teaching at primary and university levels, lecturing at The Smithsonian Institution and doing a weekly radio show on global music and jazz.

Beside his extensive jazz and world music recordings, Brother Ah also composed the score for Ethiopian producer Haile Germia's film Ashes and Embers. Read more...

Dear Friends - Yesterday, December 15, 2009, the US House of Representatives unanimously approved H. Res. 894, legislation introduced by

Rep. John Conyers, Jr., which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the recording of Miles Davis' landmark album Kind of Blue, and reaffirming Jazz as a National Treasure. Click here to read Resolution H.RES. 894

Peace and blessings to you and yours during the holiday season. Cedric Hendricks

111TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. RES. 894



Honoring the 50th anniversary of the recording of the album ‘‘Kind of
Blue’’ and reaffirming jazz as a national treasure. Click to see read RES. 894

Exploring America's Classical Music with the Great "Little Jimmy Scott"
Tuesday, December 15th 5:00 pm EST
"The George V Johnson Jr Show"

Click here to listen live
Join us in the Chatroom
Guest call-in number: (347) 637-3988

Jimmy Scott (July 17, 1925 in Cleveland),

aka "Little" Jimmy Scott, is an American jazz vocalist.
See blog for pictures and video

The GRAMMY nominated Michael Thomas Quintet is a powerful and energetic group that is deeply rooted in the rich tradition of jazz. The quintet has the unique capability to capture an audience and take them on an excursion to where "Hard-bop and Blues" swing joyfully, prayerfully, and soulfully. The group consists of members that
know jazz, respect jazz, and love jazz. There is nothing "laid back" about this group.

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TWINS JAZZ

1344 U Street NW
Washington, D.C 20009
202.234.0072

WASHINGTON DC'S PREMIERE BASSIST JAMES KING

Click to purchase: www.cdbaby.com

JAMESKINGBASS.COM

James King, Bassist and composer - born in Houston Texas has made the Washington DC area his musical home for the last 30 years. Working with both local and national acts such as Stanley Turrentine, Gary Bartz, Frank Morgan, Barry Harris, Marlenda Shaw, Buck Hill, Shirley Horn, John Malachi, Sharon Clark, Max Roach, Sonny Fortune, Harold Mabern, Gary Thomas, Geri Allen, Ronnie Mathews, Ronnie Burrage, John Hicks, James Williams, Jon Hendricks, Junior Cook, James Moody, Pharoah Sanders, Arnold Sterling, Fred Foss, Eddie Henderson, Steve Williams, Antonio Parker, Dick Smith, Paul Carr, Rueben Brown, Dick Morgan, Freddy Cole and George V Johnson Jr to name a few. King is a very gifted composer with a lyrical bass style and one of the most sort after bassist in the Metropolitan area.

James King currently performs and tours with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra. Click here


Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra performs
Swingin' in the Holidays
Friday, December 4, 7:30 p.m.
National Museum of Natural History
Baird Auditorium
10th & Constitution Avenue, NW

Bring in the holiday season with the SJMO performing swingin' holiday classics. This program features selections from Stan Kenton, Ellington and Strayhorn's Nutcracker Suite, and other holiday big band arrangements.

The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra (SJMO) was founded in 1990 with an appropriation from Congress in recognition of the importance of jazz in American culture and its status as a national treasure. Now in its 20th year and the fifth of its series with The Smithsonian Associates, the orchestra delves into jazz's greatest works and performers. The SJMO is led by artistic and musical director David N. Baker.

Click to purchase....

Robin Davis Gibran Kelley (born 1962) is a professor of American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. From 2003 to 2006 he was the William B. Ransford Professor of Cultural and Historical Studies at Columbia University. From 1994-2003, he was a professor of history and Africana Studies at New York University as well the chairman of NYU's history department from 2002-2003. Robin Kelley has also served as a Hess Scholar-in-Residence at Brooklyn College. In the summer of 2000, Dr. Kelley was honored as a Montogomery fellow at Dartmouth College, where he taught and mentored a class of sophomores, as well as wrote the majority of the book, Freedom Dreams. During the academic year, 2009-2010, Kelley will hold the Harmsworth Chair of American History at Oxford University, the first African-American historian to do so since the chair was established in 1922. Read more...

AKUA ALLRICH

Sarah Vaughan, Agyei Akoto, Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba, Stevie Wonder, Al Jerreau; an incredibly eclectic list of amazing performers and a short sample of the long list of talented musicians that have inspired the music and soul of Akua Allrich, gifted vocalist, composer and arranger from Washington, D.C.

If you listen carefully you will still hear people exclaiming about Akua’s senior recital in May 2000 at Howard University, where Akua majored in jazz vocals. See blog for more on Akua

Gwen Redding aka Rivablue - Watch Live on Comcast Cable and Listen on WCLK FM Clark Atlanta University Radio Station www.wclk.com Weekdays 7:00 - 9 PM Jazz at Sundown - 91.9 FM - Studio line (404) 880-9255.

Washington, DC - Howard University's premier vocal jazz ensemble, Afro Blue will be featured in concert to celebrate the release of their new CD "It's a Matter of Pride."

Howard University's premier vocal jazz ensemble, Afro Blue, was formed by Connaitre Miller, Ph.D in the spring of 2002. In the span of seven years, Afro Blue has received six Down Beat Magazine Student Music Awards in the categories of Best College Jazz Group, Outstanding College Jazz Choir, Outstanding College Vocal Jazz Soloist, Best College Jazz Arrangement and most recently in 2009 for Best College Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Read more...

MARIO POMPEI "CARNIVAL LIVE"

Hanging out with David Murray and Mark Johnson last weekend at the
ROME JAZZ FESTIVAL 2009

www.atdf.org

www.chloearnold.com

www.maudarnold.com
www.dctapfestival.com

AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE HAITIAN REVOLUTION
Click to purchase

Professor Maurice Jackson, Ph.D
Co-author
African Americans and The Haitian Revolution
Maurice Jackson, Ph.D. is author of Let This Voice Be Heard,
Anthony Benezet Father of Atlantic Abolitionism(2009)
He is at work on a social and political history of Washington DC 1790-the present.
He teaches at Georgetown University.
Click for more publications by Maurice Jackson

Click to purchase

Click for more details...

Jacqueline Bacon. PhD
Co Author
African Americans and the Haitian Revolution
Jacqueline Bacon holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of the new book Freedom's Journal:

The First African-American Newspaper, published by Lexington Books in February 2007. She is also the author of the book The Humblest May Stand Forth: Rhetoric, Empowerment, and Abolition, as well as articles on a variety of topics, including African-American history; media criticism; and the history of rhetoric, with a particular emphasis on African American rhetoric and women's rhetoric. An independent scholar, Bacon lives in San Diego, California. Click for more details...

GERALD WILSON The Preeminent Jazz Orchestra Composer and Bandleader Born: September 4, 1918
Official Site:
Back in 1939, Gerald Wilson joined the Jimmie Lunceford Orchestra as a trumpet soloist and an arranger. 66 years later, Wilson is still very active, having long been considered one of the top arrangers, composers and big band leaders in the history of jazz. 86 as of this writing, he has lost none of his enthusiasm, skills or creativity, and still manages to sound quite modern. Read more...SEE BLOG FOR PICTURES, VIDEOS and INTERVIEW with George V Johnson Jr on Blog Talk Radio