With his ensemble, Viewpoint, Stix Hooper returns to the stage in a rare appearance, Friday, October 28, 2011 at Zipper Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Viewpoint is a progressive instrumental based project and is one of Hooper’s many musical endeavors. With special guest, Hubert Laws, 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Award Honoree, along with others, this concert will showcase Hooper’s many eclectic and varied talents.


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

New trio album from Norwegian pianist Bernt Moen.

Indeed, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt is a talented individual. A rising star who boasts a reputable resume as a first-call session artist and leader, he's been in the thick of things since his graduation from the Berklee School of Music and arrival in New York City in the late 90's. Here, Pelt and his ensemble breeze through a potpourri of simmering, crisply executed bop and swing vamps. Perpetual motion and a steady stream of improvisational jaunts by the soloists, prompt remembrances of the classic Blue Note Record era, where hard bop and tuneful storylines assimilate into a consortium of vibrant counter-maneuvers, darting grooves and cunning detours.

(New York, NY) – Nu Jazz Entertainment -- a long time producer of high quality audio and video content in the genre of jazz--announced the November 2011 release of the special holiday album, Ellis Marsalis: A New Orleans Christmas Carol, from the 2011 National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master, on iTunes, digital music services around the world, and in brick and mortar retail stores.

The third CD by Portland, OR Hammond organ group the Steve Hall Quintet.

Composer and reedman Andrew Sterman devises a cunning intersection between modern mainstream jazz and improvisation. No doubt, he possesses a broad music vernacular, witnessed by his recordings or performances with the likes of contemporary minimalist composer Philip Glass, amid stints with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Frank Sinatra. Sterman is an artist who vividly conveys a sense of authority. With a soulful, yet commanding tone on sax, he shades the outside spectrum with modern day jazz-based notables, bassist Kermit Driscoll, pianist Mick Rossi and drummer Tim Horner.

St. Louis, Missouri (8 September 2011): Three weeks of sold-out Caribbean cruises showcasing dozens of the biggest stars in contemporary and straight-ahead jazz established Jazz Cruises as the preeminent jazz promoter on water, but a full slate of concert sponsorships on land in 2011 has made the St. Louis-based company one of the world's top jazz promoters on land and sea. This year, Jazz Cruises, the largest private music ship charter company in the world, quietly adopted the "Love It Live" manta, a philosophy with a specific purpose. "Our goal is to make sure that jazz continues to be a vital and vibrant part of the national music scene," said Jazz Cruises executive director Michael Lazaroff

We all remember how Wynton Marsalis excelled with classical and jazz recordings during his 20s, approximately 30 years ago before finally committing full-life to Duke and them. Well, there is another young phenomenon, 24-year-old, Kyrgyzstan-born pianist Eldar Djangirov, who also has prolific chops in both worlds as displayed on Three Stories (Sony Masterworks Jazz).

Canadian drummer Owen Howard is a veteran session musician, performing with the crème de la crème of modern jazz heroes. He's also an impressive solo artist, witnessed on his fifth release, Drum Lore.

A few years ago, good friends Jason Countryman and Steve Slater sat down for a cup of coffee. Conversation turned to music, as it usually did for these professional musicians, but more specifically the conversation was about jazz and writing original jazz tunes. Steve and Jason had had many conversations about music, but this one had a direction, purpose and an outcome. This conversation was going to result in something. Something neither of them had ever done before. After the coffee was gone and the words had been exchanged, they had a band name, Park St. Trio, and they had a plan... Write original jazz music for people who like good melodies and songs, make an album.

Kiawah Island, SC (August 25, 2011) – Since 2004, GRAMMY®-winning guitarist Earl Klugh has been bringing world-renowned artists together with jazz enthusiasts for his one-of-a-kind weekend getaways at 2 Five-Star, Five-Diamond properties; The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The 2nd annual Weekend of Jazz at Kiawah Island will be held November 10-12, 2011 and features 3 incredible nights of music from 10-Time GRAMMY®-Winner CHAKA KHAN in a Rare and Special Jazz Performance, Multi-Instrumentalist BRIAN CULBERTSON, Saxophonist, Vocalist and Composer MINDI ABAIR, Jazz/R&B Saxophonist ERIC DARIUS, Singer, Songwriter and Pianist SPENCER DAY, Lowcountry Favorites The EAST COAST PARTY BAND, PGA Tour Champion & Golf Commentator JOHN MAHAFFEY, Your Host and GRAMMY®-Winning Guitarist EARL KLUGH, and more!

Park St. Trio, is not usually a trio...

Stevie Wonder brought the sound of the chromatic harmonica into mainstream consciousness with his numerous recorded solos on the instrument, such as the melody on his 1970s hit "Isn't She Lovely". Chromology will of course appeal to jazz harmonica fans who are looking to go beyond the familiarity of the legendary Toots Thielemans, but for those of you who think "jazz harmonica" is an oxymoron, give a listen and let Chet Williamson show you it makes perfect sense.

      From the opening light bop of "The Cobbler" to the loping closer from which the record takes its title, "A Little Somethin'," this is a thoroughly enjoyable set of straight-ahead jazz from an uncommon combo format...

A dynamic debut album from Turkish jazz drummer "Ferit Odman" featuring the finest names in New York jazz scene today. Brian Lynch (trumpet), Vincent Herring (alto-sax), Peter Washington (bass). Hard-bop with no apologies..

WOW!

Barcelona, Spain., native Dave Juarez is well-educated in the jazz vernacular amid studies with guitar great John Abercrombie and enrollment at SUNY Purchase upon his relocation to New York. Here, the artist conveys agility, focus, and a multidimensional line of attack with his estimable supporting lineup. He alternates moods, tonalities and shadings while shifting the stride and launching animated solos alongside pianist John Escreet and saxophonist Seamus Blake.  

Saturday, September 17th at 6pm is the date to save for an evening of jazz presented by the United Negro College Fund’s (UNCF) annual benefit concert event. This year’s musical guess star is veteran jazz saxophonist Alfonzo Blackwell. The event is held annually to sponsor young adult’s college education from the New Jersey area. Tickets are on sale now. Please contact the New Jersey region chapter of the UNCF at (973) 642-1955 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Dr. Norman David gathers a world-class ensemble, here on this winning studio session. An arranger, composer and educator residing in the Philadelphia area, David also struts his impressive soprano saxophone faculties amid his hearty dialogues with saxophonist George Garzone, trumpeter Tim Hagans and others. Seasoned with memorable hooks and articulate thematic-engineering outbreaks, one of many highpoints is the robust piece, "Tuesday Overture."  

The prospects weren't promising—a rare combo mix, mostly original tunes, relatively unknown musicians, and a Scandinavian recording label. Shudder. The last group of young Northern Europeans I'd heard had me torn between boredom and suicide. Surprise! The trio sound works, the originals are strong, the musicians are first class, and the audio quality is just fine.  

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

Zagreb Croatia native, pianist and composer Matija Dedic earned a collegiate degree from the Jazz Academy in Graz, Austria. Dedic comes from a musical family; his father received musical awards and his mom sang with Louis Armstrong and Phil Woods. Some of Dedic's piano teachers have included jazz stalwarts Hal Galper and Barry Harris. Among the musicians Dedic has played with are Benny Golson, Kenny Burrell, Roy Haynes, Alvin Queen, Lenny White and Larry Grenadier. As a composer Dedic has written for television, the theatre and some Croatian pop artists. M.D. in NYC is his second release as a leader.  

There have always been bands of superstar jazz musicians. Usually put together by a producer, witness the Stanley Clarke, Larry Carlton, Billy Cobham, Deron Johnson & Najee Live At The Greek tour, or a record company, witness the 1970s CTI label-mate concerts, but a band of superstars who come together on a regular basis is almost unheard of. That has all changed with the SF Jazz Collective.  

Alto saxophonist and composer Libby Richman's abilities are easily seen in her winning two Meet The Composer grants and one New England Foundation On The Arts grant. Originally from Indiana, she earned her degree from the University of Massachusetts and now lives and works in the New York area. Among the artists she has worked with include The Duprees, The Earls, Leslie Gore, The Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Martha Reeves and The Shirelles. Open Strings is Richman's third release as a leader.  

NEW YORK, N.Y – Conversation overheard at the Rose Club of the Plaza Hotel, New York City, between a fifty-something guy with a suit jacket speaking to a pretty, twenty-something girl in a short black cocktail dress, setting up a mixer, speakers, lights and microphone: Guy – “I’m a road manager for rock & roll bands and I have never seen anybody as dressed up as you setting up gear.” Girl – “Yeah well, that’s what jazz in New York City will get you.” New York City; the Big Apple, the old New Amsterdam, the Place To Be in music and art, is now and probably forever will be Jazz Central. And now bassist extraordinaire Robert Hurst brings his quartet to play four shows at Jazz Standard, one of New York City’s premier jazz establishments. Joining Hurst at these shows will be Lawrence Fields on piano, Rafael Statin on saxophone, and Jeff “Tain” Watts on drums.Watts is widely hailed in jazz circles as the only drummer to appear on every Grammy Award winning record by both Wynton and Branford Marsalis. “Tain” has also manned the drum kit behind George Benson, Betty Carter, and Alice Coltrane, among many others. Pianist Fields and saxophonist Statin balance the youthful side of the jazz equation with the veterans Hurst and Watts. Statin, a 21 year old wunderkind, hails from Hurst’s hometown of Detroit, Michigan, attended the Detroit School Of Arts and played with the Detroit Symphony Jazz Orchestra while still in high school. Influenced by everyone from John Coltrane to Kenny Garrett and everything from blues, gospel and funk to Asian-Japanese music, Statin brings a wealth of experience to the quartet that belies his age. Fields, a native of St. Louis, is a graduate of the Berklee College Of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he played stand-out shows with the 2006 Berklee Monterey Quartet in that California city’s far famed jazz fest. It is a natural for Hurst, a tenured associate professor in the Department of Jazz and Improvisation at the University Of Michigan in Ann Arbor, to bring these young musicians into his band. Robert’s career has long included an educational aspect, teaching younger players by experience and example what a life in jazz on the road has taught him. Jazz Standard, located at 116 East 27th Street (between Park and Lexington), presents an extraordinary mix of world-class entertainment, pitch-perfect sound and warm hospitality. One of Jazz Standard’s innovations is an earlier start time for sets – 7:30 pm – in order to cater to New York City’s vibrant after work scene. Another enticing feature of Jazz Standard is the award-winning barbecue of upstairs restaurant Blue Smoke that is served at the club, along with their signature specialty drinks, beer, wine and cocktails. The Robert Hurst Quartet will appear Tuesday and Wednesday August 2nd and 3rd, with two shows nightly at 7:30 and 9:30 pm. More information can be found and ticket reservations can be made at www.jazzstandard.com. Admission is $25. For more information on Robert Hurst, please visit www.roberthurst.com Media contact: Mark Gurley, President M&M Booking Ph: (347) 223-8323 Email: markbooksjazz(at)gmail.com # # #

Harmonica master Toots Thielemans deserves all the accolades and honors a giant in the jazz field has earned when they reach the level of old-guard master. His sound is just as distinctive, as pure, as vibrant and as alive as when he was a young firebrand playing an instrument more associated with honky-tonks and low class dives than the sweetness that jazz represents. That Thielemans has single-handedly made the harmonica his own within the world of jazz could only be due to the fact he is, both harmonically and rhythmically, rooted in the tradition of the music. In addition, the ease of his melodic grace is both effortless and transcendent of any preconceived conceptual ideas anyone might bring to bear in association with the harmonica. In Theilemans' hands, the instrument is, in its own right, a clear representative of the best jazz has to offer.

Tributes have become staples of the jazz industry. On this 2011 effort, laudable Italian pianist Roberto Magris pays homage to late, great hard-bop trumpeter Lee Morgan who died from a gunshot wound in 1972 at New York City's Slugs jazz venue. The trumpeter's stylistic fusion of R&B and groove-oriented patterns set his craft apart from many peers, in addition to his fluidly melodic phrasings and largely memorable compositions. Here, Magris leads a young band, featuring renowned jazz drummer, Albert "Tootie" Heath (Heath Brothers).  

The Jazz Cruise 2012 is getting ready to sail, Jan. 20 through Feb. 5. The Cruise has bern heralded as having the finest lineup of  "Straight-Ahead" jazz performers ever assembled.

Sunset Jazz at Newport, featuring straight ahead jazz performed by top jazz performers, begins July 6 and will continue for 11 summer Wednesday nights at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel in Southern California.

When jazzy sisters meet to spend some time together, the result can be found in the highly intelligent and welcoming "The Mosaic Project", a compilation from Boston drummer Terri Lyne Carrington.

"Sketches" is Azerbaijan-born pianist Amina Figarova 11th recording as a leader: she's been creating high-quality modern mainstream jazz since the mid-1990s.

Due to her being based in northern California, Jessica Williams is a bit underrated, but (on evidence of her sets for Jazz Focus and Hep) she is one of the top jazz pianists of today. Williams is a powerful virtuoso whose complete control of the keyboard, wit, solid sense of swing, and the influence of Thelonious Monk have combined to make her a particularly notable player. She started taking piano lessons when she was four and was gigging as a teenager. Williams took extensive classical lessons...

Jazz star Maria Schneider, Grammy-winning composer and big band leader, makes her Ojai Music Festival debut at the 65th Ojai Music Festival with two concerts on Sunday, June 12 at 11a.m and 5:30p.m. The annual Southern California event, June 9 though 12, usually features classical composers and performers. This year, however, music director, Dawn Upshaw is bringing together a wide-range of programs and artistic collaborations over the course of the four days. On Sunday, Schneider will offer the world premiere of "Winter Morning Walks," composed especially for soprano Upshaw, who has been described as "one of the most consequential performers of our time" by the Los Angeles Times. Performing with her in the premiere will be the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

A seamless mixture of familiar favorites and jazz-inspired originals, Herzig celebrates the romantic expanse of modern instrumental music. Gentle in spirit but generous in craftsmanship, “Come with Me” bridges the gap between entertainment and inspiration.

A seamless mixture of familiar favorites and jazz-inspired originals, Herzig celebrates the romantic expanse of modern instrumental music. Gentle in spirit but generous in craftsmanship, the “Come with Me” CD and full-length DVD bridges the gap between entertainment and inspiration.

'We're Here to Listen' by pianist Leslie Pintchik is a wonderful showcase for her skills as a performer, composer and arranger.  Her talents have placed the album right up there with genres best and when recently I was fortunate enough to interview Leslie it proved to be a totally enjoyable experience.

Marcus Miller performing live is indeed a very euphoric experience, and those who have never been so fortunate might as well grab a copy of his latest CD "A Night in Monte-Carlo," which is due for a February 1st release.

In her debut solo performance held at the Notorious Café (notoriousbar.com.ar), Paula Shocron sat at the piano with confidence in the air and a bottle of water at her feet which she sipped from frequently. Her playing, like life was unpredictable. The style was at first without structure, like raw feelings being displayed through her instrument. Whether it was representing the mind of a rebellious youth, or the gritty, furious moods of a city on the edge, it seemed to be spontaneous ene

Dave Brubeck continues to record, even in his 87th year, as if music were a necessary element of being, like breathing or talking. Which it is. The man who popularized jazz…

After years of being singers’ accompanist of choice, as well as illuminating various groups including Phil Woods’ or Keter Betts’, Bill Charlap has leaped into the jazz spo…

You won’t find many references to Ron Surace within current jazz volumes but that isn’t important. The printed pages often omit outstanding players until they have g…

Claire Daly is one of the first ladies of straight-ahead/classic jazz, and with the release of her CD collection, MOVIN' ON, she fully establishes herself as the major fema…