Month: May 2012

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BLAC Inc. Black Liberated Arts Center Inc. Charlie Christian International Music Festival jazz music Oklahoma Oklahoma City world

27th annual Charlie Christian International Music Festival kicks off in Oklahoma City on May 29

Charlie Christian

In a recent news release, Anita Arnold, executive director of Black Liberated Arts Center Inc. in Oklahoma City, said, “The 27th annual Charlie Christian International Music Festival promises to be full of nostalgia, great music of many genres, food, arts and crafts and so much more. The event will be spread out in four different venues.”


The festival kicked off at 8:30 a.m.Tuesday, May 29, 2012, at the Oklahoma City Council Chambers at 8:30 a.m. with the Morris McCraven Trio setting a jazzy atmosphere for the festival. Mayor Mick Cornett officially proclaimed this week as Charlie Christian Festival week (May 29 through June 3, 2012). Urban Roots, located in the heart of Deep Deuce featured at 6 p.m. music, the opening of the Deep Deuce Photo Exhibit and a book signing by Anita G. Arnold, author of “Oklahoma City Music: Deep Deuce and Beyond.” 


On Wednesday, May, 30, Douglass High School is the venue for the Frederick A. Douglass High School Band program, which includes a performance by the award-winning Douglass
band, acknowledgement of those who contributed to the band drive to outfit a 100-piece marching band, and a special exhibit of the school’s fine arts department during its hey day from the 1940s through the 1950s. The Oklahoma History Center is the curator of the exhibit that will include a saxophone from the 1940s belonging to Jack Washington, photos of bands, choirs, choruses, sheet music and more. 


Arnold said, “It is time to reclaim our excellence and history. These two exhibits acquaint young and old with a golden period in the African American experience.” The free event is open to the public and opens at 1:00 p.m.


At 6 p.m. Thursday, May 31, there will be jamming across Oklahoma City as musicians and singers sit in with bands at Woody’s Sports Bar and Grill and Urban Roots. Musicians are admitted free and are invited to jam with the house band as their admission to the event. Everybody else pays $5 at the door. The public is invited to come out and check it out.


The outdoor festival on Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2 begins at 6 p.m. at the Metro Technology Amphitheater, 1900 Springlake Drive. Reality and the New Era opens the festival on Friday with follow-up artists Equilibrium, Billie Jeane and the Robert Banks Band. Popular group After Five Jazz will headline and close out Friday night’s big fun in the park. This will be the first appearance of the group since the mid-1990s when the group went on to other things. Congo Drummer Tre Balfour of Palmdale, Calif., will join soul mates drummer Walter Taylor, keyboardist David Carter, and guitarist Maurice as they bring back their heart wrenching, top tapping sound that landed them gigs, backing artists such as Lala Hathaway and opening for guitarist George Benson, among others.


On Saturday, June 2, Miss Cooki, noted for her distinct vocals, will open and insure a memorable experience. Spencer Brown and The Dudes follow and set the stage right for Jeremy Jackson and Sultry Sound. The fresh new sounds in this year’s festival flow right into the smooth jazz sounds of Tulsa saxophonist Grady Nichols, who opens for headliner Jeremy Thomas Quartet. Thomas recently returned from touring with David Sanborn. Thomas is, the drummer for two-time Grammy Award nominee and world renowned jazz organist Joey Defrancesco. Thomas will leave on two tours in June and is scheduled for a Jazz Cruise next year. 


Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for both days. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs or comfortable seating. No food or beverages will be allowed through the gates.


At 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 3, at Frederick A. Douglass High School Auditorium, the Rev. Dr. A. Cortes Rex will be featured in a gospel show, “A Tribute to James Cleveland.” Rex, who was influenced by Cleveland, the late founder of the Gospel Music Workshops of America, will narrate and sing during the tribute. Rex was born in Wichita, Kan., but grew up in Tulsa. He lives in California, where he as been a resident since graduating from Langston University. Rex has established a reputation with two of his most popular shows that pay homage to James Cleveland and Dr. Martin L. King. 


Tickets are on sale for the show and the outdoor festival at Charlie’s Jazz, Rhythm and Blues Store, Guestroom Records, Hopkins Haircare, Learning Tree Toys and Books and Woody’s Sports Bar & Grill. The Charlie Christian International Music Festival is sponsored by BancFirst, Oklahoma Arts Council, City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Natural Gas Co., Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co., EMSA, Friends of the Historical Society Archives, and Tinker Federal Credit Union. This is a BLAC Inc. production.



Charlie Christian International Music Festival Band Line Up


Friday, June 1, 2012


6 – 6:45 p.m. Reality and the New Era


7 – 7:45 p.m.  Equilibrium


8 – 8:45 p.m. Billie Jeane


9 – 9:45 p.m.  Robert Banks Band


10 – 11:15 p.m. After Five Jazz


Saturday, June 2, 2012


6 – 6:45 p.m.  Miss Cooki


7 – 7:45 p.m. Spencer Brown and the Dudes


8 – 8:45 p.m. Jeremy Jackson and Sultry Soul


9 – 10 p.m. Grady Nichols Band


10:15 – 11:30 p.m.  Jeremy Thomas Quartet

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believe jazz Motema Records music new releases releases the cookers United States

The Cookers celebrate fifth anniversary with third release “Believe,” available on June 12

The Cookers. Photo credit: Vincent Soyez


In an interview, drum great Billy Hart summed up his attitude toward The Cookers succinctly but emphatically: “Believe in us,” he insisted (tacking an expletive onto the end that served to press the point home). Over the course of two albums, The Cookers have given jazz audiences plenty of reason to believe, and their Motéma Music debut, bearing the simple but eloquent title Believe, finds the all-star septet continuing to keep the faith in swinging fashion – their third release, celebrating their fifth anniversary as a working ensemble.

The credentials of these seven musicians are beyond reproach, but simply gathering a group of legends and throwing them into a recording studio isn’t necessarily a recipe for success, points out David Weiss, the band’s founder, chief organizer, and trumpeter. 

“A lot of basketball teams throughout the years have signed a group of all-stars and assumed they would win it all because they had assembled the best group of players imaginable and in the end lost because they never really considered that the group would not gel and could not play together,” Weiss points out by way of illustration. “You can’t just put a bunch of names together and expect it to be great. These guys just turned out to be the perfect combination.”
It’s impossible to foresee how any ensemble will gel until the first notes are played, of course, but The Cookers had an inherent advantage in the fact that these legendary jazzmen had all proven themselves integral components in great bands of the past. Harper was a member of groups led by Lee Morgan and Max Roach and served a two-year stint with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers; trumpeter Eddie Henderson and drummer Billy Hart were both part of Herbie Hancock’s electric Mwandishi ensemble; pianist George Cables played alongside Dexter Gordon and Art Pepper; and bassist Cecil McBee anchored Charles Lloyd’s famed 1960s quartet with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette.
“This is a band,” Weiss says, emphasizing the fact that the unit has cohered into something that transcends its all-star status. “But it’s a band of guys who have been in a lot of the most important bands in the history of this music. They know what it’s like to be in a band and what makes bands great.”
The line-up is completed by Weiss and altoist Craig Handy, players from a later generation who nevertheless follow in their bandmates’ fiery footsteps. The name comes from the Freddie Hubbard’s classic two-volume album Night of the Cookers, classics featuring Lee Morgan, Harold Mabern, James Spaulding, Pete LaRoca, Big Black, and Larry Ridley. These Cookers approach their material in the same sense of adventurous exploration as Hubbard and his ensemble did, generating brilliant music out of seemingly basic elements.

Like their previous two critically acclaimed releases, Cast The First Stone (Plus Loin, 2011) and Warriors (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2010), Believe consists almost entirely of music written by the band members themselves, culled by Weiss from throughout their storied careers.

“Once you get these guys together and really see what they can do,” Weiss says, “you see that they’re not truly being recognized. They have direct ties to all the music that everybody, even younger people, came to this music listening to. They were part of what made jazz what it is and the classic records that attract most people to jazz, the greatest era of this music. Let’s not forget where this thing came from and why it was so good: it’s exciting music played with compassion and conviction and intensity. That’s what these guys are doing.”
It’s that urge, to recognize and celebrate these tremendous artists while they continue to create at the height of their powers, that inspired the band to distill Hart’s directive down to that one single word: Believe.
“It’s a simple word for a philosophy,” Weiss says. “Just believe in something. Care about something. And since you have this record in your hand, believe in this.”  

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Anita Arnold BLAC Inc. Black Liberated Arts Center Inc. Bonham books Deep Deuce jazz music Oklahoma Oklahoma City Texas United States

BLAC Inc. director Anita Arnold receives Charlie Christian Tribute in Texas

Anita Arnold, right, receives framed Tribute to Charlie Christian.

During an evening of celebration and tribute to Charlie Christian in Bonham, Texas, Anita Arnold, executive director of Black Liberated Arts Center (BLAC), Inc. of Oklahoma City, OK, was presented a framed Tribute to Charlie Christian made from the wood of the house where the jazz legend was born. 


The tribute contained the words to the song “Rose Room” that launched Christian’s career with Benny Goodman and, ultimately, led to his iconic stature in the music world. A picture of Charlie Christian and his birthplace are, also, included in the tribute that sold for $1,000 in an auction and was donated by the owner of the piece.


The evening was filled with Charlie Christian music played by the James Deering Quartet of Grayson College. The talented guitarist, Seve Mexia, featured in the quartet played music that he transcribed from music played from Charlie Christian CDs as a final test from his jazz music professor at the college. Arnold narrated the concert with little-known information about Charlie Christian throughout the evening. The evening concluded with a book signing by Arnold, author of the book, “Oklahoma City Music: Deep Deuce and Beyond.” 

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books Brenda Jackson Brian H. Emtro film music new releases P. Diddy releases rhythm and blues Truly Everlasting United States

P. Diddy protege Brian H. and Jamia Alesia collaborate on ‘Truly Everlasting’ soundtrack


With the smooth vocal style of Tank or Tyrese, Brian H. (aka Brian Harris), became a TV sensation as J-Rome after his stint on P. Diddy’s reality TV show, “Making the Band 4.” Now, he’s aiming to make rhythmic noise all over again. He has teamed up with rising star, Jamia Alesia, to record the sultry movie soundtrack, “Truly Everlasting” (Emtro/$13.99). It’s the companion CD to the film that has just been released on DVD.

The Jacksonville, Fla., singers sang two duets, “One Love” and “I Think I Love You.”  Alesia did three solo tracks. The mid-tempo, “He’s So Fine,” is reminiscent of SWV back in the `90s. Her warm alto shines on the groove “The One” and she shows her sass on the track, “Changed.” Brian H. rounds the collection out with five tracks: the computerized “Beautiful Girl” and the aching jam, “Truly Everlasting.” There’s also a cozy acoustic version of the latter, as well as, the catchy love songs “Take It Slow” and “Imagine.”

Brenda Jackson, known as the Diva of Romance, is the best-selling African-American romance novelist of all time. She began reading romance novels to distress herself from her hectic job as an insurance executive and wondered why there weren’t more romance novels revolving around black people and started to write her own. She’s written 80 romance novels that have sold over 3 million copies and made her the top in her field. She’s now taken one of her most popular books and bankrolled the independent film, “Truly Everlasting” that is based on her best-selling 1998 book of the same name. 

In the story, a man named Trask and woman named Felecia who have hated each other since childhood are drawn together when Felecia’s son wishes for a father to spend Christmas with since his biological father is dead. When Trask hears of Austin’s unique request from one of Felecia’s relatives, he volunteers to be Austin’s dad for the holidays. Against her better judgment, Felecia relents and allows Trask to act as Austin’s father. Forced to be around each other for the child’s sake, the adults fall in love and the story takes on a unique twist that includes a protracted custody battle for Austin.


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Aaron Diehl jazz Mack Avenue Records music new releases releases United States

Pianist Aaron Diehl debuts project on July 31 on Mack Avenue Records

In fashion circles, the adjective “bespoke” denotes custom-made suits and shirts and signifies the person who designs and constructs them. On The Bespoke Man’s Narrative, his brilliant Mack Avenue Records debut, pianist Aaron Diehl extrapolates this notion to matters of musical invention.
“The idea for the metaphor was that the composition and concept were specifically for these musicians,” Diehl says in a news release, referring to his working quartet of 30-ish all-stars – vibraphonist (and Mack Avenue artist) Warren Wolf, bassist David Wong and drummer Rodney Green – that interprets the five originals and five arrangements comprising the program. “There’s a sequence, an arc, a beginning, middle and end. Each piece has something to do with my musical development.”
The project gestated in April of 2011 in Indianapolis after Diehl, 26, earned first place in the rigorous Cole Porter Fellowship in Jazz Competition of the American Pianists Association. The award garnered him $50,000 in career support and an opportunity to record with Mack Avenue Records.
“I thought it would be wise to use the opportunity to document this ensemble,” Diehl states. “I decided to compose and arrange music in line with our own sound and conception, while using the strategies of bandleaders like John Lewis and Duke Ellington, who developed their music in line with the abilities of their personnel.”
Diehl is singularly positioned within his generation to apply these lessons to a contemporary context. An alumnus of Todd Stoll’s Columbus (Ohio) Youth Jazz Orchestra, which specializes in performing a broad timeline of Ellington’s music, he spent the last six months of his sophomore year at Juilliard – he was 19 at the time – helping pianist John Lewis’ widow, Mirjana, to organize her late husband’s archive of manuscripts, scores, reel-to-reel tapes and recordings. Already intimate with the stride piano canon from his teens, Diehl applied the quality time with Lewis’ Bach-to-blues oeuvre towards finding a conceptual space in which to coalesce his varied interests.
This quartet initially took shape in 2008 – then with drummer Quincy Davis – when Diehl was asked to play a concert of Lewis’ music. By an April 2010 performance of this repertoire at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Rodney Green had assumed the drum chair.
“Warren is a virtuoso,” Diehl says of his fellow Mack Avenue artist. “There couldn’t be anyone more appropriate to play the part of Milt Jackson. David is a fluid, precise player with a lot of finesse and a strong bow, who comes straight out of the bebop-based approaches of Percy Heath and Paul Chambers. Mrs. Lewis said that John would have loved him.
Aaron Diehl
Photo Credit: John Abbott
“I hadn’t realized it, but Rodney listened a lot to Connie Kay, and told me that one reason he wanted to be part of this project was to get more inside Connie’s approach.”

In preparing this program of creative refraction of the aforementioned oeuvres, Diehl focused on nurturing an ensemble sound. “Rather than feature just my piano playing, I like to involve everybody in the process,” he says. “Sharing the wealth allows for more musical possibilities.”
For all his collective orientation, Diehl commands attention at the piano. Addressing a Fazioli F-228 grand piano, he showcases a nuanced touch, a comfort zone with tempos ranging from rubato to brisk, encyclopedic harmonic knowledge, an abiding sense of blues expression and a will – when necessary – to swing. He’s assimilated vocabulary across the timeline, finding fresh, idiomatic ways to mix-and-match ideas drawn from a diverse cohort including, among others, Lewis, Ellington, Ahmad Jamal, Marcus Roberts and Kenny Kirkland. As he puts it, “My overall goal is trying to figure out how to connect all the language to make an interesting and engaging performance, and also develop my own voice. Why limit yourself to just playing something here and something there? It’s all gold.”


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Carmen Intorre For the Soul jazz music new releases Random Act Records releases United States

Drummer/percussionist Carmen Intorre debuts first project ‘For the Soul’ on May 22

Drummer/percussionist Carmen Intorre is pairing up with producer Bob Belden on his debut album For The Soul (Random Act Records); the organ-based session covers a wide range of musical stylings from Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan to Chick Corea and Weather Report. Intorre is joined byJohn Hart on guitar, Jon Irabagon on alto and tenor sax, and Pat Bianchi and Joey DeFrancesco- two of the world’s most formidable jazz organists. The album swings within the tradition while expanding upon the vocabulary and boundaries of the idiom.
Currently, Intorre performs with legendary jazz guitarist Pat Martino, touring extensively throughout the world with the guitarist’s organ trio. He is always eager to uncover the latest information about music and drumming and to share that information with others. 

“This is my job. I have to give back what I was given a chance to do,” Intorre said in a news release. “Music is an opportunity for me to give upmy soul, while in the process connecting with the audiences’ souls as well. I want the musicians on the bandstand and the members in the audience to feel uplifted after a performance, to feel great about themselves through the experience that they encountered. That is what For The Soul is all about.”
Born in Buffalo, NY, Carmen Intorre developed an early interest in music and began playing drums at age five. A graduate of The Institute for Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School, he has performed and recorded with numerous musicians such as George Benson, Larry Coryell, Wynton Marsalis, Monty Alexander, George Coleman, Eric Alexander, George Cables, Benny Golson, Richie Cole, Joe Locke, Lew Tabackin, Bobby Watson, Ira Sullivan, Bobby Watson, and many others.
A 2011 Grammy nominee for his performance on the critically acclaimed album by Joey DeFrancesco entitled Never Can Say Goodbye: The Music of Michael Jackson, Intorre also had the pleasure of performing alongside DeFrancesco and Dr. Lonnie Smith on the PBS show Legends of Jazz, hosted by Ramsey Lewis. 

“Carmen is one of my favorite drummers; he has a very wide groove and strong beat, and most of all he swings his ass off! I love him!” says DeFrancesco.
Perhaps one word best describes Carmen Intorre and his music: Joy. Reminiscent of Billy Higgins, Intorre brings a palpable swing and drive to virtually all the tracks, making this a palatable musical feast “for the soul.”


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A Beautiful Soul Billboard Deitrick Haddon gospel music new releases Releve Entertainment Tyscot Records

Deitrick Haddon’s latest CD makes hot shot debut on Billboard

According to a recent news release, Grammy Award nominated recording artist Deitrick Haddon made a big splash two years ago with his starring film debut in “Blessed & Cursed” that has aired on The GMC Channel and Showtime. Now, Tyscot/Manhaddon Films and Releve Entertainment are enjoying new success with Haddon’s second major film vehicle, “A Beautiful Soul,” which opened at selected AMC Theaters nationwide on May 4, 2012, and brought thousands of churchgoers into theaters around the country.

In the film, Haddon stars as Andre Stephens, an R&B superstar who loses his spiritual compass after he and his best friend barely survive a brutal attack. Haddon has assembled an ambitious twelve-song set of songs inspired by the movie and its theme entitled, “A Beautiful Soul” (Tyscot Records/ $9.99 SLP). The CD features the funky retro-styled radio single, “No Betta” (by Faith Evans and Deitrick Haddon), that is #35 on this week’s Top 100 Gospel chart.

The set also includes the breezy urban pop tune “Running to You” (Regula leads) and the straight up urban track “New Life” (featuring Fonzworth Bentley, Haddon and raspy-voiced, Nikki Potts). Adia leads the whimsical “Incomplete” and Haddon leads the title song, “A Beautiful Soul”. It’s 12 songs in all with Haddon’s choir, Voices of Unity, in the middle of the musical musings. Among the cameo soloists are Kierra Sheard; former P. Diddy sidekick, Fonzworth Bentley; Jason Champion; Joint Heirs; Candy West, among others. For more information, go to www.abeautifulsoulmovie.com.


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InterStatic Jacob Young Jarle Vespestad jazz music Oslo RareNoiseRecords releases Roy Powell United States world world jazz

Jazz trio to release self-titled ‘InterStatic’ on June 12

The genre-defying triumvirate of adept pianist, organist, and composer Roy Powell, guitarist Jacob Young and drummer Jarle Vespestad comes out blazing with a vengeance on InterStatic, their self-titled RareNoiseRecords debut and second release overall, following their ambitious 2011 outing, Anthem. Seamlessly combining elements of jazz, experimental, ambient and rock, the scintillating power trio stretches in typically intense fashion, extending the organ trio tradition established by Jimmy Smith and taken to realms beyond on such groundbreaking recordings as Tony Williams Lifetime’s Emergency! (with Larry Young and John McLaughlin) and John Abercrombie’s Timeless (with Jan Hammer and Jack DeJohnette).
“I love all the organ players who have redefined the instrument and kept it relevant to successive generations,” says Hammond B-3 maestro Powell, who contributes six compositions on InterStatic in a news release. “That includes modern day players like Larry Goldings and Sam Yahel. I´m also very influenced by the sound of pipe organ music such as that of Olivier Messiaen, which I find to be almost an out of body listening experience.” Powell also performed on two recent RareNoiseRecords releases, bassist Lorenzo Feliciati’s Frequent Flyer and Naked Truth’s Shizaru.
With the remarkably flexible drummer Jarle Vespestad (known for his work with Tord Gustavsen, Silje Nergaard, Supersilent, and Farmers Market) alternating between deliberate, big-as-a-house backbeats to surging swing grooves to dreamy rubato playing, and Nordic guitar star Jacob Young summing up myriad tones and textures on his heavily-effected axe, Powell underscores with velvety B-3 cushions while layering on affecting organ melodies and Moog synth solos throughout this evocative collection.
Says Powell, a British émigré living in Oslo, “The music on InterStatic is a change in direction from Anthem in the sense that we were feeling our way on the first one and now we have found it. On this new recording we deliberately wanted to reference (Norwegian guitarist) Terje Rypdal and a general early ECM influence together with more modern bands like Air, Washed Out and post-punk bands like The Durutti Column. In other words, a mix of influences both old and new.”
Adds Young, “InterStatic has a stronger sense of direction than our previous album Anthem had, it has more of an innovative touch than traditional. Much of this has to do with concrete discussions we had about the musical direction we wanted to explore when rehearsing. Essentially, we got bored with making another album that sounded like something we had either done before or heard before. We wanted to get more out and away from the typical jazz scene in Norway and needed a new calling card.”
Powell describes the group’s mission statement on InterStatic: “To create an instrumental organ-guitar-drums band reflecting modern preoccupations, reflecting contemporary musicians’ diverse influences regardless of genre boundaries.”

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American Veterans Traveling Tribute competition country music military music Nashville Connection - Heroes Salute Traveling Vietnam Wall United States

Organizers seek talent for Nashville Connection – Heroes Salute competition

The Nashville Connection – Heroes Salute is returning to Greenville, SC, on June 27-30, 2012, and organizers are looking for talented singers, songwriters, bands and musicians interested in participating in the largest music networking event in the Southeast.

The four-day event features workshops with some of Nashville’s top music industry professionals as well as an opportunity to perform for celebrity judges in the Nashville Connection music competition with $25,000 in opportunity prizes. The winner will open for country music star Darryl Worley, who will perform at the Heroes Salute Gala on Saturday evening, June 30 at 8 pm at the TD Convention Center in Greenville, SC.

Singers, songwriters, bands and musicians can sign up online for the Nashville Connection – Heroes Salute competition and workshops at www.thenashvilleconnection.com. Or they can mail submissions to NASHVILLE CONNECTION – HEROES SALUTE PMB # 251, 2435 East North Street, Suite 1108 Greenville, SC 29615.

In addition, the American Veterans Traveling Tribute will bring the Traveling Vietnam Wall, a portable scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to the TD Convention Center for display to honor, respect and remember the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who
served in the Vietnam War.

Other events include Shine Night, a karaoke-style competition, and the Heroes Jam, an outdoor music festival featuring emerging talent. The festival culminates with the Heroes Salute Gala which features a silent auction, VIP reception, Star Walk to benefit veterans and an All-Star concert featuring Darryl Worley, Martha Reeves, Lt. Col. Mike Corrado, Barry Michael and David Brendan Hunt.

“This event provides an opportunity for aspiring artists to connect to all facets of the professional music industry and salute our heroes,” said Joan Betros, executive producer/director of the Nashville Connection — Heroes Salute in a news release.

Proceeds from the Nashville Connection — Heroes Salute will benefit a number of charities that support Veterans, including Welcome Home, Not Alone, the Vietnam Veterans of America, and Honor Flights of the Upstate.

Seating is limited. Schedules, tickets and additional information are available online at www.thenashvilleconnection.com.

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california Europe festivals Jack DeJohnette jazz music Oregon performances United Nations United States world

Drummer/pianist Jack DeJohnette launches aggressive international schedule

Jack DeJohnette

Following the launch of his latest critically acclaimed album, Sound Travels (released January 17 on Golden Beams/eOne), as well as being named a 2012 NEA Jazz Master in January, drummer/pianist Jack DeJohnette will continue to celebrate his landmark 70th birthday year with high profile performances, festival appearances, among other activities. 

DeJohnette recently participated in the International Jazz Day inauguration at the United Nations in New York City on April 30 with Herbie Hancock (in his role as UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador), UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, among other internationally recognized artists. 


“It was a great honor to be part of this extraordinary event. An amazing feeling to play in the UN General Assembly with my friends Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Ron Carter honoring Miles Davis, and also playing with some of my other friends,” reflects DeJohnette in a news release. “As UNESCO ambassador, Herbie has created a historic event here and is expanding the awareness of  this great art form.”

On May 9, DeJohnette will begin a West Coast tour at The Shedd in Eugene, Ore., with a trio consisting of Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. Billed as DeJohnette’s 70th Birthday Tour, the tour serves as this trio’s debut and will also headline Jazz Alley in Seattle (May 10-13) and Catalina’s in Los Angeles (May 15-20). The same trio will return to the West Coast in September, with performances at Yoshi’s San Francisco (September 5-8), The Opera House in Napa Valley, Calif. (September 9), and The Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz, Calif. (September 10).

DeJohnette has scheduled performances at several renowned festivals in North America this summer and fall, including appearances at two of the most prominent U.S. jazz festivals. On June 28, The Jack DeJohnette Group (featuring saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, guitarist Dave “Fuze” Fiuczynski, pianist George Colligan and bassist Jerome Harris) – his working ensemble – will headline the Ottawa International Jazz Festival. On August 4, DeJohnette will headline the 2012 Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, performing in three different settings: with his working ensemble, his All-Star group (featuring guitarist Lionel Loueke, pianist George Colligan, bassist Christian McBride, saxophonist Tim Ries, percussionist Luisito Quintero, and trumpeter Jason Palmer) as well as a duo performance with Jason Moran. In September, DeJohnette will serve as the 55th annual Monterey Jazz Festival’s 2012 showcase artist, and will perform three times throughout the weekend (September 21-23), with his working ensemble, his Special Trio (with Pat Metheny and Christian McBride), and in duo with Bill Frisell.

Other notable appearances for DeJohnette throughout the year include participation in Pat Metheny’s five-day Summer Music Workshop beginning on August 20 as well as two European tours (in July with The Keith Jarrett Trio and in late September with his own group).

DeJohnette’s 2012 festivities will culminate with two performances: the long-awaited reunion of “The Gateway Trio,” featuring John Abercrombie and Dave Holland, at Chicago’s Orchestra Hall (a hometown performance for DeJohnette) on November 2, and a Keith Jarrett Trio performance at NJPAC in Newark, NJ on December 1.