Stephanie Jordan Sings a Tribute to the Fabulous Lena Horne; Yesterday When I Was Young:  "Great lyrics permeate this beautifully rendered homage, and Jordan has the skill sets to do them justice—a voice that projects from a whisper to a scream, impeccable diction, dead-center pitch, fluid phrasing. Backed by a breathe-as-one 8-piece unit of top-shelf New Orleanians that sounds twice its size, and counterstated by a cohort of virtuoso soloists, she finds fresh, unfailingly swinging approaches to this well-traveled repertoire, melding into a personal argot elements garnered from such distinguished mentors as Shirley Horn, Abbey Lincoln, Nancy Wilson—and Lena Horne herself—while sounding like no one other than Stephanie Jordan. As she aptly puts it, "it's a tribute, not a copy." - Ted Panken    

Indonesian-Swedish artist duo Aliceleonz and Björn Pehrson write and perform classic swing jazz song with a very traditional sound and very strong song material that brings back the feeling of all the great jazz classics of the 1940ies and 1950ies. The music is characterized by Alice's unique and very strong vocal performance, reminding us of such great artists as Ella Fitzgerald, together with Björn's instinctive feel for classic jazz melodies and harmonies.

A traditional slow swing song from Alice & Björn featuring Marty Keil on clarinet

A laid-back number from Alice & Björn's debut CD "Swinging With The Boys", released on December 1st, 2012. This song features the seductive voice of Alice over a laid jazz/blues beat with lead guitar work from Mauro Clerici.

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Kayla Taylor is a southern gal who, when it comes to torch songs and jazz standards, can sing with the best and surpass them.  Her new CD 'You'd Be Surprised' is the follow up to her 2005 release 'A Night at Pacific & Vine' and features a sophisticated array of classic tunes that she delivers with the warmth of a nightingale and the intimacy of a soul singer.

Beppe Di Benedetto is a trombone player, composer and arranger born in Italy. Beppe's passion for music began at the age of 12 when one day his father came home with a strange black suitcase in his hand. Inside was a shiny instrument. His constant curiosity in capturing the secret language of music has accorded Beppe many opportunities in sharing the stage with such famous musicians as Eumir Deotado, Solomon Burke, Bob Mintzer, Paul Anka, Burt Bacharach, Mario Biondi, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Hengel Gualdi, Jovanotti, Antonella Ruggero, Fabrizio Bosso, Lorenzo Tucci, Daniele Scannapieco, Giovanni Amato, Claudio Filippini, Andrea Tofanelli, Massimo Manzi, Ellade Bandini, Christian Meyer, Michael Rosen, Ernesstico, Mark Harris, Luca Mannutza, Tullio De Piscopo and many more.  

Tommy Vig has created an original, strangely intuitive, and ultimately satisfying big band. This music is avant garde, and dissonance is integral to their vision. That said, Vig's pieces are about as catchy as avant garde big bands could conceivably be. Fast unison parts are balanced with clear melodies, and rounded out with explorative soloing and inventive charts.

John Daversa's arrangements and compositions incorporate a high degree of hip-ness. A superb trumpeter who maximizes his use of the Electric Valve Instrument (EVI) via rippling notes and compelling solo spots within the grand schema, he fuses hip-hop, funk, rock, and the jazz element into an uncannily coherent form-factor. Audacious, brassy, and energized are simply a few appropriate descriptors.

John Colianni is a gifted pianist with a strong interest in swing and early bebop. Jazz is a very historically conscious genre, even as it is always moving forward. Still, even among the most historically minded contingent of modern jazz, Colianni sounds positively old-fashioned. The pianist keeps one foot squarely in a 1940s swing aesthetic, and, by the sheer joy of his playing, he obviously deeply loves the music he is drawing from. That said, one is not likely to confuse this recording with a swing recording from the 1940s. Colianni has a modern flair that is apparent both in his harmonically complex solos and his occasionally involved compositions. Even at its most complicated though, this music is always swinging, and swinging easy at that.

It was a hot balmy day as we stepped off the ferry onto Governors Island; ten minutes off the southern tip of Manhattan. As Jacqueline and I approached the great lawn in the center of the island, I was transported to another place, another time – much like Owen Wilson was when he stepped into car as the leading character in the new Woody Allen film Midnight in Paris. Before my eyes the roaring 20's were alive and well, pages come to life from F. Scott Fitzgerald's book The Great Gatsby. People were in authentic garb, playing badminton; lounging with friends picnicking; and dancing to the music of the era – JAZZ!


Jazz musician Alex Coke has announced a workshop of his composition Wake Up Dead Man as part of the Brokkenfabriek series in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Born in Nagasaki, Japan , Hiromi Kanda was exposed to American music via the armed forces personnel that were stationed in the city. At the age of 8, Hiromi moved to Osaka with her family. It was there that she developed an appreciation for several forms of music from Sinatra and Cole Porter, to the Monkees and the Supremes. ‘Days of Yesterday’ is Hiromi Kanda's sophomore album, and is a remarkable album from a vocalist who doesn't just sing the standards, she symbolizes them.

Greta Panettieri just came out with a new song called 'View from the moon'. View from the moon is an interesting mix between old and contemporary music. The song recalls the sound of the old swing orchestras through a powerful brass arrangement bringing the listener 'back in the days' with the '40s stile vocal harmonies of the background vocals. The result is a refreshing mix of a sophisticated 'Euro Swing' sound and a danceable kick drum on the downbeat.

Profundity, variety and a multidimensional stance are a few striking attributes of the European Movement Jazz Orchestra's portfolio. With young Slovenian musicians lending their wares, the large ensemble casts a symphonic overture amid small ensemble breakouts and Kenton-like brashness. They explore the free-zone at times during various interludes, yet the musicians' collective imaginary powers intimate more than a few persuasive proposals.  

2011 Tanglewood Labor Day Weekend Jazz Festival, September 2-4 Judy Carmichael's Jazz Inspired with actress Blythe Danner and special guests from the worlds of Jazz, Broadway, and Hollywood to take place September 3 at 2pm Angelique Kidjo, Dianne Reeves, and Lizz Wright Featured in Sing the Truth with all-star band Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, James Genus, Munyungo Jackson, and Romero Lubambo on September 4 at 8pm A Latin Jazz Tribute to Cachao with Federico Britos Sextet and John Santos Sextet to take place September 3 at 8pm Coast to Coast Septet featuring NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Cobb with vocalist Mary Stalings and the Mingues Orchestra with conductor NEA Jazz Master Gunther Schuller to Perform September 4, at 2pm Festival Opens with Ulysses Quartet (6:30 pm) and the Robin McKelle Quartet and Michael Kaeshammer Sextet (8pm) on September 2 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Life award provides additional Festival Activities including Interviews with Jimmy Cobb and Gunther Schuller (9/3. At 4:15pm), Screening of Charles Mingus "Epitaph" (9/3, at 4:15pm), and Master Class with Jimmy Cobb and Coast to Coast Septet (9/4, at 12:30pm) Taking place in conjunction with the annual Labor Day Weekend Jazz Festival, the Wine and Food Classic returns to Tanglewood September 1-4

Danish pianist, keyboardist, composer and arranger, Martin Lutz's third release with his own group, It's Swing – Not Rocket Science, is a collection of disparate compositions all connected by Lutz's rather uniquely slanted compositional concepts. Organized into five suites, all featuring a guest artist, the music is passive at some moments and energetically manic at others, sometimes all within the same suite, as occurs most obviously during the "Africa" suite.

Louise Clare Marshall Returns to Delight the Stompin' Crowds   Jools Holland singer, Louise Clare Marshall, is making a return visit to Stompin on the Quomps, Christchurch's popular, al fresco, smooth jazz event. Louise will be performing with local band Not Just Sax. The live event takes place on Christchurch Quay on Saturday 6 August from 12 noon until 10pm and has five professional bands performing throughout the day along with other entertainment. Internationally renowned, Louise Clare Marshall has worked with many of the most famous names in the music business, including: Robbie Williams, Bryan Ferry, Ronnie Wood, Lulu, Van Morrison, Madeline Bell, Sheila Ferguson, Ruby Turner, Sam Brown, and many more. Following her Stompin' performance, Louise will dash to join Jools Holland and his Rhythm Orchestra for an evening concert. Organisers have again been able to keep free entry to this community event, thanks to generous support from local businesses, though donations are sought throughout the day. The music begins at noon and the line up will include Lemon Grove, Dutch band, Bazar Bazaar, The Baddest Blues Band Ever plus Not Just Sax with Louise Clare Marshall As ever, the popular Taverners Big Band will complete the line up. Between acts entertainment will be provided by members of the Swish of the Curtain Theatre School and the Funky Little Choir. Event organiser, Adrian Dwyer, said: "We know that Louise thoroughly enjoyed performing at Stompin last year and are thrilled that she wants to once again join an impressive line up of professional jazz musicians. Our event offers the best in professional jazz music and we are proud that we can do this without an entry charge, though we do ask for donations on the day. Last year's event was one of the best ever and we estimate that up to 5,000 enjoyed the music and atmosphere. We hope to see as many people as possible, from families to nonagenarian grandparents picnicking, dancing and soaking up the Stompin' atmosphere." A souvenir programme is being produced and will be available from the Christchurch Information Centre, The Regent Centre, and the Captain's Club Hotel and at the event itself. Details can also be found on the website: www.stompin.org or by calling Christchurch Information Centre on 01202 471780. END CONTACT: Julie Ratcliffe, Julie Ratcliffe Public Relations - 01202 471097 or 07936 554222 IMAGES There are excellent images of Stompin' available at www.stompin.org; however if these are used please acknowledge Andy Cahill. Please contact if higher resolution required. Images of Louise Claire Marshall : http://www.louiseclaremarshall.com/

For ten years, saxophonist/pianist and GRAMMY-winning composer/arranger Gordon Goodwin has been driving a train that won't stop. He first assembled his Big Phat Band in 2000 – an ironic starting point for an 18-piece big band, given that the fleeting neo-swing craze of the late 1990s was just winding down. But Goodwin and his crew have always been the real deal, and have always been in it for the long haul. In the decade since their ambitious beginnings, the Big Phat Band has burned up stages and studios with an eclectic, intelligent and high-energy brand of music that marries the best elements of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, John Barry and other big-band and orchestral jazz giants of the past 70 years."There's a significant segment of the population – and some are just high school kids – who inherited an appreciation for this music from their parents or their grandparents," says Goodwin. "They don't necessarily consider themselves jazz fans, but they find this music to be accessible without being highbrow or elitist. The inspiration behind this record is very simple, and very much in line with that of our previous records. We make music that sounds good to us, and it does seem to resonate with a lot of people."

Composer and arranger Gordon Goodwin certainly has an impressive resume.  A 2006 GRAMMY Award winner for his arrangement of 'Incredits' from the Pixar film The Incredibles, Gordon has also enjoyed eleven more Grammy nominations and picked up three Emmy Awards along the way.  Not only that, since 2000, Goodwin has been the driving force behind his own creation Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and when recently I talked with him from his studio in Los Angeles I was interested to know what had been his motivation for beginning what has now evolved into a modern day big band phenomenon.

Ever since Dexter Gordon won an Oscar for his work in Bertrand Tavernier’s ’Round Midnight, the story of American jazz musicians finding rejuvenation under European stage lights has been a mainstream one. A lot of what those musicians actually played over there, however, has been hard to find Stateside, instead trickling in across the decades through traded tapes, bootlegs and shoddy releases (with a few notable exceptions). So, it is with some interest that this grab-bag of live dates, o

Like a delightful summer barbecue and the camaraderie of friends and family, renowned jazz saxophonist, Bobby Watson, actually recaptures it all on his CD The Gates BBQ Suite, featuring the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance Concert Jazz Orchestra. The CD is a tribute to the famous Gates BBQ in Kansas City and on the liner notes, Bobby expressed his appreciation for barbecue describing it as food that always represented a “celebration in my life." “Smoking meat remains near and dear to me," s

Remember how bassist Oscar Pettiford would take huge breaths between notes while soloing? This bad brother seemingly envisioned his instrument, his…self, as a horn, so you could hear him inhale before his fingers would pluck out a low-end exhale-ation.Pettiford came to mind while listening to guitarist Tom Rizzo’s debut album, Imaginary Numbers (Origin). With active accompaniment from a five-piece horn section and full rhythm section, Rizzo’s role here features his guitar in collaboration with

Big bands haven't been mainstream for decades, but they're still with us. Alex Stewart's Making the Scene, a fascinating discussion of contemporary big-band music, lists 86 groups based in New York City alone--and Stewart says the list is incomplete. Managing a big band is difficult, and they rarely earn their members a living wage. So why are there so many? Well, jazz musicians often dig the sound—and the challenge of sitting alongside knowledgeable peers while reading new charts. Composer/arra

Big bands haven't been mainstream for decades, but they're still with us. Alex Stewart's Making the Scene, a fascinating discussion of contemporary big-band music…

Mike Barone, big band leader, composer, arranger and trombonist, notes on the jacket of his fifth Big Band album as leader, Flight Of The Bumblebee "Rimsky-Korsakov …

Dave Rivello wrote and arranged this session's material, and album notes by Bob Brookmeyer, a respected veteran of the big-band wars, give him immediate credibility. Riv…

The retro-big band sound on this release gleams bright like the bumper on a '57 Chevy. So bright, in fact, that a reasonably astute listener couldn't be blamed for wonderin…

Legendary, indeed. Renowned pianist, composer, arranger and musical director (Vikki Carr, Julie Andrews), all prior to his founding of this talented big band over three dec…

On January 13th, 2007, the music world lost a genius, Michael Brecker. While with us on this planet, Mr. Brecker established the standard by which modern saxophone playi…

Restless Spirits may be considered a showcase for European jazz pianist and composer Roberto Magris. The maestro brings his compositions and his considerable piano t…

Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Latvia, Norway, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland. That's where the 2…

One can debate whether the big bands are "dead"--and a good chunk of this CD's liner notes are devoted to that debate--but one must acknowledge that large ensembles still c…

Composer-saxophonist-educator and Oregon born Tim O’Dell earned Bachelor’s and Doctoral degrees in music from the University of Iowa, as well as a Master’s in Music degr…

Revered saxophonist, flutist and composer Frank Wess is a longtime member of the Count Basie Orchestra, yet leads a nonet for the first time in his storied jazz career. …

Omaha Nebraska resident and saxophonist Bill Wimmer has collaborated with Vail, CO., keyboardist/vocalist Tony Gulizia for years. And with prominent New York jazz stars, gu…

Recorded live in Vail, Colorado on May 13 and 14, 2008 at Kelly Liken, Project Omaha purrs with a swing-jazz versing and hip shaking samba tassels pinwheeling the…

In the nineteenth installment of their Swiss Radio Days series, TCB Music showcases the Count Basie Orchestra in their 1956 live recording from a concert in Basel, Switz…

Wave Mechanics Union is a creative collaboration formed by composers Ryan Fraley and Ralph Johnson, and vocalist Lydia McAdams. Along with a large ...

Problem: You’ve got a function you need to supply a powerful swingin’ big band for, but you can only come up with the scratch to pay ten guys (and/or gals,) and a conduc…

Make no mistake about it, Al Hood is a great trumpeter. Able to play the most demanding conceptualizations his improvisational jazz oriented mind can think up with the u…

Why cover some of the best singers ever with relaxed arrangements that don't even try to outshine the originals? "Fly Me to the Moon" without Sinatra, Basie or the Quinc…

Saxophonist/composer/arranger Bob Mintzer has enjoyed a prolific career as a sideman to the likes of Jaco Pastorius, and longtime member of the contemporary jazz group The …

Saxophonist/composer/arranger Bob Mintzer has enjoyed a prolific career as a sideman to the likes of Jaco Pastorius, and longtime member of the contemporary jazz group The …

With his fourth release as a leader, composer/pianist Mike Holober reaffirms his spiraling presence within modern jazz circles, to augment his role as a first-call sessi…

Step into the Wayback Machine for a history lesson: Once upon a time there was a genre known as Western Swing it was an all-American mutant music, an amalgam of the "Wes…

The inclusion of poetry in the middle of a mariachi-themed jazz CD is quite unusual. Multi- instrumentalist George McClure releases Playboy Swing 2 with a host …

There will, most likely, never be another vibraphonist with the musicality and historical significance of Lionel Hampton. A consummate performer, artist, entertainer and…

It’s about time someone created a superior third-stream jazz recording in the 21st century. The Budapest Jazz Orchestra Meets Kálmán Oláh, Images, is that disc. P…

West of State Street / East of Harlem presents The John Burnett Swing Orchestra at a Sunday gig in February 2008 at Fitzgerald's in Berwyn, Illinois, where the band …

Pianist, composer and conductor Carla Bley returns to the big band format after releasing two small group dates; The Lost Chords (2004) and The Lost Chords …