Category: jazz

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Mitch’s Reflection: Bil Carpenter Presents “An Uncloudy Christmas”

If you’ve enjoyed the book “Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia” by Bil Carpenter, music journalist and co-founder of Capital Entertainment, then you will enjoy the compilation “An Uncloudy Christmas.”

The 12-track compact disc features artists Bryan Wilson, Pookie Hudson and the Spaniels, Ann McCrary, Candi Staton, Richard Hartley, Markas Nair and Carpenter ending things country style with title single “Uncloudy Christmas.”

Opening with “The Savior Has Come,” Wilson presents such a feel-good house of prayer shout band style that it’s hard not to clap your hands a few times. Pookie Hudson and the Spaniels presents traditional gospel style tracks “The Angels Watching Over Me” and “I Just Want to Thank Him.” McCrary brings a modern touch to the compilation with the jazzy “Remember Not to Forget Jesus.”

In “An Uncloudy Christmas,” there is a song to fit any fan’s musical taste or holiday mood, and each artist does a fine job of presenting the true meaning of the holiday season.

Editor’s Note: Review CD was provided by Capitol Entertainment.

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It’s “Sax to the Max” at Tulsa’s Jazz Depot for New Year’s Eve


The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame will present its New Year’s Eve Celebration on Friday, Dec. 31 at The Jazz Depot, 1st and Cincinnati in Tulsa.  Doors will open at 7 p.m. Longtime Tulsa saxophonist and 2002 Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame inductee Earl Clark and his Spectrum Band will present a fusion of jazz, blues, R&B and country from 8 to 10 p.m. 
The evening will conclude with 2004 Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame inductee and Tulsa saxophonist Grady Nichols, featuring “American Idol” vocalist Krista Branch from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets are $70 per person and are available online at www.okjazz.org and www.MyTicketOffice.com by calling (918) 281-8600.  The ticket price includes buffet dining, desserts, entertainment, complimentary champagne toast and party favors to bring in the New Year. Only 350 seats are available at event.

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Just a touch of “Lagos Blues” with pianist Antonio Ciacca and saxophonist Steve Grossman on Jan. 12

Internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Antonio Ciacca teams with renowned saxophonist Steve Grossman in a new project “Lagos Blues,”  to be released by Motéma Music in the U.S. on Jan. 12. Joining them is Ciacca’s  regular quartet – saxophonist Stacy Dillard, bassist Kengo Nakamura and drummer Ulysses Owens – who contribute a picturesque image on the broader story of jazz.


Born in Germany, raised in Italy, Ciacca plays with a rare blend of earthiness, fire and intellect, with elements of Wynton Kelly, Red Garland and Bobby Timmons. He is the director of Programming for Jazz at Lincoln Center.


According to a news release, Ciacca began his studies at the Bologna Conservatory. At the time, he played only classical repertoire, the effects of which led him to consider switching his energies to sports and becoming a professional soccer player. This all changed when his future Lincoln Center compatriot Wynton Marsalis came to Bologna give a concert.

“What impressed me was the relationships between the musicians,” Ciacca says. “They were all proud and accomplished and dignified. They were just perfect.”

Speaking with Marsalis after the concert, Ciacca took to heart the trumpeter’s advice: “Try to swing as hard as you can and you’re going to be good.” That mission began when he sought out Grossman, whose lessons laid a solid foundation for the young pianist. After three years, at Grossman’s suggestion, he left for the States in 1993 to immerse himself fully in jazz culture, working first in Detroit and then in New York.

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Fahir Atakoglu set to release “Faces & Places” on Jan. 5

World-jazz pianist-composer-arranger Fahir Atakoglu enlists a host of friends for his upcoming Jan.5 release, “Faces & Places.” Joining him are trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarist Wayne Krantz,Yellowjackets’ saxophonist Bob Mintzer, Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo, bassist John Patitucci and Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez on drums. 


According to a news release, “Faces & Places” is a follow-up to the 2008 fusion project “Istanbul in Blue,” which reached #1 on the JazzWeek World Music Albums chart and featured guitarists Mike Stern and Wayne Krantz, tenor saxophonist Bob Franchesini, bassist Anthony Jackson, and Hernandez on drums.


Atakoglu dedicates “Faces & Places” project “to all musicians who have come to the United States from all corners of the world: Those who follow their dreams and touch people’s hearts, lives and souls with their music.” A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Atakoglu has recorded 18 albums that have sold more than two million copies in 17 countries including the United States. Atakoglu continues to compose film scores, ballet music, operas and other symphonic works while also performing solo and trio concerts around the world.

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events jazz music Oklahoma Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame tulsa

Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame honors inductees on Wednesday


The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame presents the 21st Annual Induction Banquet Gala at 6 p.m. Wed. Oct. 21 at the Jazz Depot, 111 E. First Street, in Tulsa. There is a reception at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. and awards ceremony at 8 p.m. Tickets are $100 each, and dinner is catered by Just Catering by Orr. The black-tie fundraiser assists the Jazz Hall with educational programming.

The event’s theme is “Swinging All the Way Up,” which honors Oklahoma music all-stars such as the legendary western swing patriarch Bob Willis, the late former NBA player and jazz musician Wayman Tisdale, Steve Pryor, Dr. Stephen Wiley, Olivia Duhon and John C. Wooley.

There will be special musical performances by saxophonist Tom Braxton, members of Rockin Acoustic Circus, vocalist Brenda Johnson and Jazz Rhapsody Trio, Olivia Duhon, Steve Pryor and Dr. Stephen Wiley. The gala chair for 2009 is Regina Tisdale, and honorary gala co-chairs are Cassandra Gaines and Grady Nichols.

Tickets may be obtain by calling the Jazz Depot at (918)281-8600, (918) 281-8608 or (918) 281-8609 or online at MyTicketOffice.com.

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Vijay Iyer releases a bit of “Historicity”


In a recent news release, Vijay Iyer explains the word “historicity” as the simple fact of being placed in the stream of history — along with everything it may imply. The idea of today’s creations drawing from older sources compelled Iyer to title his new trio CD “Historicity.”
A presentation of interpretations of other composers’ material, “Historicity” explores tunes ranging from Leonard Bernstein to Andrew Hill to Stevie Wonder to M.I.A. Joining Iyer on this project is bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Marcus Gilmore.
Iyer has worked with a wide range of contemporary artists, including Steve Coleman, Roscoe Mitchell, Amiri Baraka, Wadada Leo Smith, Oliver Lake, Imani Uzuri, Dafnis Prieto, Karsh Kale, and John Zorn, composed pieces for classical ensembles including the string quartet ETHEL and Imani Winds, and scored film, dance and theater works. Iyer shares a bit about his project to fans via youTube.

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Final musical tribute to ragtime for Tulsa


Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame inductee pianist Donald Ryan and Barron Ryan, a recent piano graduate of the University of Oklahoma, will perform at 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4 at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame’s Jazz Depot, 111 E. First Street (Upper Level), Tulsa.
The concert is dedicated to the memory of David Sahler, friend and Ragtime board member. Concert tickets are $15 adults; $10 for seniors, Jazz Hall members and college students; and $5 students older than 12 years. Limited seating is available. For more information, call (918) 281-8600. Also, the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame will host Argentinean group Viento Sur Trombone Quartet at 7:30 p.m. Wed. Oct. 7. Ticket prices for this engagement are same as Sunday concerts.

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Chicago Bass Clarinetist Jason Stein presents 2 releases in November


When he was 16, Chicago-based Jason Stein was known to be more of a rock guitarist than a base clarinetist. But it was jazz great Thelonius Monk who drew him in. And later when he heard Eric Dolphy play the bass clarinet, Stein was so inspired that he forged an unwavering commitment to cultivate a single tonal voice.
Also a student of drummer Milford Graves, saxophonists Charles Gayle and Donald Walden and brass player/theoretician Ed Sarath, Stein assimilated from these powerful figures the conceptual and philosophical lessons that compelled him to capitalize on his innate nature as a serious, self-motivated musician.
Fans will have two chances to appreciate Stein’s talent on November 10. His compositions are contained in the upcoming release “Three Less Than Between,” from a reconfiguration of Stein’s original trio, Locksmith Isidore, on the Clean Feed label, and in Stein’s debut solo outing on Leo Records, “In Exchange for a Process.”
“Three Less Than Between” will feature Chicago bass player Jason Roebke and drummer Mike Pride in a traditional jazz setting. “In Exchange for a Process” is described as “an articulated source for endless discovery of the elements indigenous to a world that is known only to Jason Stein. Treating the bass clarinet with energy equal to that applied by sax players, he follows in the footsteps of many contemporary avant-garde solo saxophonists, who have each expanded the concept of tonality.”

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Pianist Danilo Pérez signs with Mack Avenue Records


Mack Records has announced that Grammy winning pianist Danilo Pérez will be joining the label. An extraordinary Panamanian artist, composer and educator, Pérez’s distinctive blend of Pan-American jazz (covering the music of the Americas, folkloric and world music) has attracted critical acclaim and loyal audiences.
“It has been a long journey full of unexpected twists up to now and I am looking forward to the next chapter of my life,” Pérez said.
“Danilo is an artist of uncompromising artistry,” Mack Avenue Records President Denny Stilwell said. “We are pleased to have him as a member of the Mack Avenue family and look forward to an album that will mark a new beginning in his expansive career.”
Pérez has recorded and performed with Wayne Shorter, Steve Lacy, Roy Haynes, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Tito Puente, and Wynton Marsalis, among others.
He plans to release his debut Mack Avenue Records album in 2010.

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Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame announces 2009 Autumn Jazz Concert Series


The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame in Tulsa has announced two upcoming musical events for the 2009 Autumn Music Season.
Chuck Cissel, artistic director and executive producer of the Autumn Jazz Concert Series said, “We are thrilled to present four months of Sunday afternoon concerts from September through December 2009 at the Jazz Depot.”
The series is titled “Sounds of the Spirit” and kicks off at 5 p.m. Sunday, September 13 with smooth jazz Tulsa saxophonist, Grady Nichols. Nichols is also the 2003 Legacy Tribute Award recipient from the Jazz Hall and one of Tulsa’s most popular entertainers.
Other artists that will be featured in the series include Maestro Marc Gottlieb and his string quartet, with special guests vocalist Charlotte Blakely and New York Philharmonic pianist, Harriett Wingreen. In addition, University of Tulsa’s Big Jazz Band will feature trumpeter great Walter White of the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s jazz ensemble in New York City, led by JALC artistic director, Wynton Marsalis.
Also on board for the Autumn season, the Rev. Cortez Rex performs his special musical tribute to gospel legend, the Rev. James Cleveland.
Cissel said the Viento Sur Trombone Quartet from Argentina will also make a return appearance this Fall at the Hall, and the concert series will conclude with the Holiday Concert featuring Jazz Hall inductee, the Rev. Joey Crutcher and the Gospel Workshop Choir of America.
According to Cissel, “This is perhaps our most ambitious Autumn series programming effort yet, because we are covering the bases from ragtime, classical, Dixieland, big band, swing, traditional jazz, blues and gospel, while several of our musical guests will be making their debut at the Jazz Depot and many of the musical artists will be from New York City. Our programming efforts are to make it fresh and exciting by putting a new spin on the music each season; give the Jazz Hall members and music lovers new music to enjoy and new artists to become acquainted with.”
All Autumn Jazz Concert performances are held at the Jazz Depot (1st and Cincinnati – upper level)at 5 p.m. on Sundays. General admission is $15 for adults, $10 for seniors, college students and Jazz Hall members and $5 for students. You may also reserve a seat at $20 per person at one of our tables of eight. Reserved seating and table reservations need to be purchased in advance of the concert date(s). For tickets or more information, call the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame at (918) 281-8600/8609 or go online. Gift shop and concessions are available. All major credit cards are accepted. *Tickets for weeknight performances are the same price as Sunday performances. All weeknight performances begin at 7:30pm.