San Jose Summer Jazz Fest 2016 Report: LEGALLY BLUE ByTom Wing Wo

After Kenny Washington at the Jade Leaf Lounge I had three hours to kill before singer Denise Donatelli. I headed over to the Gordon Biersch stage cus' it was only a block and a half away.

                        Legally Blue was the surprise of the Jazz Festival for me.

                                       Joanne Wegener is backed 
                      by four excellent blues musicians

John Keating on keyboards, Mike West on drums.

                                               Chris Wilder on bass.

       And the rock solid, articulate and inventive Aart de Gon                                               guitars.

All the cats in Legally Blue are excellent muscians and they'll have their first CD release party this Saturday, August 20 in Sunnyvale. Singer Joanne is dramatic and expressive with a mellow and gut wrenching interpretations of blues standards and orginal blues tunes written by each of the intermentalist in this goup. She has an inviting, relaxed rapport with her audience that makes you feel like you're at home with your family and a part of the band. She's so comfortable on stage that at one point she turned her back to the audience to shoot a selfie with the crowd in the background. The audience totally cracked up and band the blew the roof off the top of this outdoor stage.

Back in the 70's I played drums and sang vocals in a garage band called Karma Co. in Sacramento. It was founded by two brothers from Georgia who wrote blues and rock tunes. I played my share of blues but I've almost forgotten it. That all changed when I heard Legally Blue today.

Legally Blue has gotten me back into the Blues and I can't wait to hear them again.

Legally Blue Facebook Site 

Tom Wing Wo

8/18/16

San Jose JazzFest 2016 Report:Legends and Emerging Artists Triumph By Shelah Moody

Closing day of the 27^th Annual San Jose Jazz Summer Fest, Sunday Aug. 14 was a celebration of world music and a joyous weekend for Streetwise Radio.

The streets of downtown San Jose, as well hotels, cafes and restaurants hosted legendary musicians and emerging artists, attracting thousands of fans to the largest city in the Bay Area.

Our first stop on a warm south bay afternoon was the Jade Leaf Lounge, where Cuban pianist Harold Lopez Nussa, joined by Ruy Adrián López-Nussa, (drums/percussion) and Alune Wade (bass/vocals) were creating elegant, tropical soundscapes.

               
                         Harold Lopez Nussa
While children in swim suits danced through the fountains at Cezar Chavez Plaza in the heart of downtown San Jose, 

2015 Grammy nominee--saxophonist Miguel Zenon, and his band --Alex Brown (piano), Hans Glawischnig (bass) and Henry Cole (drums)-- showcased rhythms and melodies inspired by Zenon’s native Puerto Rico. The quartet played original compositions and arrangements from Zenon’s albums, “Esta Plena” and “Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook.”

“It feels great to be here,” said Zenon, who was nominated for a 2015 Grammy in the Best Latin Jazz Album category for “Identities Are Changeable.”

“This is our second time here. The first time was maybe, five years ago. Last time, we played in a theater, so it’s nice to play outside; it’s so pretty here and people are enjoying themselves. “It’s a really nice vibe.”

                    Saxophonist Miguel Zenon
Zenon comes from a fine tradition of Puerto Rican jazz greats including trombonist/composer Juan Tizol, who played with Duke Ellington’s orchestra. Incidentally, as a member of the SFJAZZ Collective, Zenon cop-produced and arranged the album “The Music of Michael Jackson & Original Compositions,” recorded live at SFJAZZ Center in 2015.

                             Rick & Russ Show

The World Famous Rick & Russ Show spun classic R&B on the main stage as Grammy winning vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant, currently one of the hottest performers on the touring circuit, prepared for her set the main stage. Accompanied by pianist Aaron Diehl, bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Lawrence Leathers, the bespectacled jazz goddess opened with her original ballad, “Fog.”

                         Cecile McLorin Salvant
In February, I watched Salvant accept her Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album, “For One to Love” at the Premiere Ceremony at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles. Salvant is a pure, articulate singer whose voice can emulate everything from an elegant violin refrain to the sassy wa-wa of a trombone. Salvant delighted the audience with a string of jazz standards and Broadway show tunes including “The Trolly Song,” made popular by Judy Garland, “Wives and Lovers,” by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, “Something’s Coming” by Leonard Bernstein, “What a Little Moonlight Can Do,” made popular by Billie Holiday and the whimsical “Sam Jones Blues” by Bessie Smith.

“I was lucky to have been raised in a household where music was a very important part of our upbringing,” said Salvant, in an interview after the show. “We listened to music from all over the world including, but not only jazz. We listened to folk music from South America, from Africa, from Europe and all kinds of American popular music and folk music from Appalachian to funk and R&B to disco and classical music. When I moved to France and met my jazz teacher, I started perusing jazz as an option for a career. I never really thought I would do it professionally.”

Salvant said she has not read her extensive Wikipedia page and said she hates to google herself. The artistically inclined singer wore a colorful patterned Issey Miyake dress that fluttered in the wind and complemented the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest mural on the main stage. Miyake is Salvant’s favorite designer; she loves his vivid colors and his clothes are light weight and are easy to travel with, she said.

“I don’t like to look at myself or watch myself or be in that spirit, because I don’t think it is very enriching as a musician,” said Salvant. “It’s not very enriching to be constantly scrutinizing yourself in that way or looking at what other people think of you. Something people may not know about me is that I really love visual art and I draw a lot. I’m actually preparing a show in New York at a gallery in November. Mostly water colors and ink drawings. It’s really a fun thing to do when I’m on tour. We have a lot of moments where we wait. You know, people come to the shows and they see us perform and they think that’s what it is. But a lot of it is traveling to the performance and waiting for the plane or the train or being in a car for a long time. There are a lot of hours like that where we can’t really work on music. I can read, I guess, but I feel like drawing is a wonderful activity that’s also creative. I started doing it about five years ago and it’s been enriching to me. I’ve done a few of my album covers.”

I asked Salvant how it felt to perform at the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest.

“It feels great,” said Salvant. “The audience was warm and wonderful. I’m having a wonderful time, and I’m actually seeing a line form at the CD table.

As Salvant graciously signed CDs for fans, a New Orleans style parade made its way around the main stage, warming up the for the evening’s headliner, Sergio Mendes and Brasil 2016.

        
Shelah Moody, Sergio Mendes and Radio host Safi Wa Narobi of KPFA FM 

The 75-year-old, Grammy-winning Bossa Nova singer/songwriter/composer and his multicultural band performed “A Celebration of 50 Years of Brasil ’66.”

My father was a jazz pianist who was heavily influence by Samba and Bossa Nova. As a child, Mendes’ iconic “Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66” and other albums were constantly played in our home, and songs such as “Fool On the Hill,” “One Note Samba” and “Look of Love” became the soundtrack of my life.

Oakland rapper H20 led the intro to Mendes’ signature tune, “Mas, que Nada,” and oh, how we danced and sang along to the “O, o-o-o-oh ari-ah, rayoh...Obah, obah, obah!” chorus!

                                Greg Bridges of KCSM FM  and Albert “Tootie” Heath
In a late Sunday night set at downtown San Jose’s Café Stritch, radio host Greg Bridges of KCSM FM San Francisco introduced the legendary drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath, joined by Richard Sears on piano and Martin Nevin on bass https://youtu.be/M5OFxodGLUQ.

                                   Albert “Tootie” Heath

“This cat has been a big part of my life through listening for many, many years,” said Bridges said of Heath. “I learned rhythm from him and cats like him. So many musicians have learned from him; he is a part of the foundation of this music that we call jazz.”

Hailing from one of the first families of jazz, Heath and his musical siblings—Jimmy Heath (saxophone), and the late Percy Heath (bass) formed the Heath Brothers in Philadelphia, PA in 1975 and produced modern jazz recordings such as “Marchin’ On,” “Brothers and Others” and “In Motion. At 81, the gracious Heath packed Café Stritch, and captivated the audience with his stamina and his polyrhythmic drumming technique.

For info on the 2017 San Jose Jazz Winter Fest, go to sanjosejazz.org.

Donald Byrd

I remember growing up listening to a lot of Donald Byrd and the Blackbyrds. My parents were always playing his songs. If we were at home or driving in the car listen to him on 8 tracks songs like “Flight Time”, “Think Twice”, “Places and spaces out there”, “Slow Drag”, “Sky High”, “Witch Hunt”, "You And The Music", “We're Together”, “Rock Creek Park”, “Black Byrd”, “Walking In Rhythm” and “(Falling Like) Dominoes” the list goes on. Donald Byrd’s music has been sampled by rappers. When I hear youngster today, that hear a Donald Byrd song for the first time and say, he got that from so and so. It gives me great pleasure to say learn your history.

Born in Detroit, Michigan on December 9, 1932 Donaldson Toussaint L’Ouverture Byrd II is an American jazz, rhythm and blues trumpeter. Donald Byrd had a gift at an early age. Before finishing high school he was performing with Lionel Hampton. Donald played in the military band, throughout his term in the United States Air Force. He is an educated man as well. He attended Wayne State University where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in music. He also received a master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music.

Donald Byrd had the foresight to moves away from hard-bop jazz base and began to record jazz fusion and rhythm and blues. Donald Byrd is known to be the pioneer jazz, funk and soul sound of the 1970s. That is when Donald Byrd and the Blackbyrds were born. I think this was fantastic move. This was one of the great jazz/funk bands in the 1970s. I count myself blessed to have grown up listening to this amazing music and this great man. You can listen to songs from Donald Byrd on Streetwise Radio. You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on iTunes, Pandora MyGen365, Live365 and Athena365.

LM

http://www.last.fm/music/Donald+Byrd/+wiki

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkXh4kRTBVk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16_RNvYWogs

Tatiana Mayfield A Portrait of LadyMay

Tatiana Mayfield is a twenty something, jazz singer with a unique, amazing and invigorating voice. She grew up in Fort Worth, Texas. In her senior year of high school, she appeared of Showtime at The Apollo in 2004 singing “Good Morning Heart Ache”. This was the beginning of a fantastic jazz singer with incredible talent. Tatiana went on to pursue her musical studies at the University of North Texas and was a member of the Jazz Singers ensemble. While Tatiana was in college she received several awards for “Outstanding Performance” in the “Jazz Vocal Soloist” category in DownBeat magazine’s June 2009. Also she received the award for “Outstanding Undergraduate Student in Jazz Studies” from the University of North Texas jazz department in 2009. Tatiana was chosen on October 2010 as one of the twelve semi-finalists to compete in the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition that was held in Washington, D.C. at the Smithsonian Museum. Tatiana has pure confidence in her ability. She has performed before a panel of legendary jazz vocalists that included Al Jarreau, Dianne Reeves, Patti Austin, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Kurt Elling. Tatiana released her debut album in the fall of 2009 called “From All Directions”. This album was collaboration with pianist Erskine Hawkins III. On this album she has spiritual songs and jazz songs that show her versatility as a singer. Two of my favorite songs off this album are “Speak To My Heart” and “A Little Acapella For Ya For Fun”. Tatiana released her second album in July 2012 “A Portrait Of LadyMay”. My favorite songs off this album are, “Real”, “Softly As In A Morning Sunrise”, “Judgment Day”, “Zone”, “Sequins”, “Love” and “Olha Pro Ceu (Look to the Sky)”. "A Portrait Of LadyMay" is a forceful and original work that covers Tatiana's writing talent and flexibility. If you like jazz artists that sing Tatiana “LadyMay” Mayfield is one to put in your collection. She definitely has the skills. Listen to songs from Tatiana Mayfield’s album “A Portrait of LadyMay” on Streetwise Radio. You can also listen to Streetwise Radio on MyGen365, Athena365, live365 and ITunes.

LM

http://www.tatianamayfield.com/Home_Page.php

HULON
CD title: After Hours
Genre:  Smooth Jazz

HULON After Hours Truly living up to its provocative title, Hulon’s 2010 independently released debut First Impressions spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Jazz Chart (peaking at #25). Its debut single “Sax on the Beach” reached #16 on the SmoothJazz.com Top 50 Indie Chart and was featured on the noted jazz website AllAboutJazz.com, in addition to receiving national and international airplay at terrestrial and online radio.
Collaborating once again with mentor, composer, producer and fellow saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa, the Panama City, Florida based tenor saxman gets even more personal and intimate with his growing audience on his highly anticipated, musically eclectic follow-up After Hours. World renowned for his years with The Rippingtons, The Sax Pack and numerous hit solo albums over the past 20 years, Kashiwa again brought in some of contemporary jazz’s most powerful and dynamic players to take Hulon’s musical game on the new collection to the next level; Dave Hooper (drums), Allen Hinds (guitar), Melvin Davis (bass) and Bill Heller (keyboards) all played key roles as well on First Impressions. The new 11 track set includes a vocal and instrumental version of the Heatwave classic “Always and Forever” and eight originals penned by Kashiwa that play to Hulon’s strengths as a soulful balladeer and a grooving R&B/funk player, with a few dashes of cool and swinging traditional jazz in the mix. Highlights include the sensual late night romance “You’re Beautiful,” the whimsical mid tempo light funk tune “Takin’ My Time,” the tropical chill of “Sticky Trickuation,” the sly, “Pink Panther”-esque “Speak Easy” (featuring shuffling drum, bass and finger snap rhythm) and the high octane horn-driven jam and first single from the new release,“Do You Feel Me.” Yet there’s lot more to Hulon’s dynamic emergence onto the urban jazz scene than simple chart stats and the support of some of the genre’s best players. At its heart, it’s the story of a musical dream long deferred and unique connections between the spiritual and emotional healing power of music and the physical healing that Dr. Hulon E. Crayton does as a rheumatologist and founder of The Arthritis and Infusion Center, which specializes in the treatment of Rheumatological diseases as well as sports related injuries. The title of one of the tracks on After Hours, the tropical flavored groove tune, “Second Opinion” is a playful ode to his longtime profession. Over the past few years, Hulon has experienced the unique double blessing of performing for some of his patients, feeling joy and fulfillment as those who once could not even walk actually got up and danced and sang along—all thanks to him! Hulon has been practicing since 1986 and is a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and of the American Board of Rheumatology. He has a Master’s in Hospital Administration and has served in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserve, obtaining the rank of Captain. In an effort to give back to the community, Hulon and his wife Dinah created the Crayton Foundation to assist in providing minorities with a feasible way to attain the funding needed to attend college; they have given numerous scholarships to students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare related fields. The foundation gave the first ever scholarship at Florida State University for African American students. The Milwaukee born and raised Hulon was originally inspired to play the alto sax by his college roommate when he was an undergrad at Lincoln University in Missouri. He taught himself the instrument and it became a favorite hobby for a time, used as recreation and stress relief as Hulon played along to his favorite recordings. He put the horn aside for years as he went to medical school at the University of Wisconsin, started his first practice, got married and began raising a family. Hulon’s interest was rekindled when all three of his children showed an interest in music and served as first chair on their respective instruments in middle school. He had loaned his daughter his old sax and she wouldn’t give it back, so he bought a tenor at a local pawn shop (after moving to Florida) and that became his main voice as he began to pursue music professionally. He started playing informally with some local musicians (enjoying cigars and martinis along the way) and then was hired to play at a festival by a promoter who heard him performing one Sunday at church; this prompted Hulon to start a band with a fellow doctor friend. Cleverly dubbing themselves On Call, the band began performing at numerous private functions, local Panama City jazz hotspots like the Boatyard, Firefly, Bonefish and large scale affairs at the Grand Panama Hotel. His incredible friendship and musical association with Jeff Kashiwa began when Hulon was in the audience at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival one year when the famed saxman was onstage playing the EWI, or Electronic Woodwind Instrument. “He started introducing this cool looking instrument and I shouted out from the crowd that I’ve gotta get me one of those,” says Hulon. “Jeff responded from the stage, ‘Not only will I sell this to you, I will also teach you how to play it!’ After the show I met him and asked if he was serious. He gave me his address, I sent him a check and he sold me his EWI. He was down in Orlando with the Rippingtons two months later and I went to see him. He took me up to his hotel room and taught me how to play EWI. At a later gig in Atlanta, he invited me backstage to meet the Rippingtons. We started doing lessons on Skype, and about a year later, Jeff was playing at a fundraiser for the Anchorage Children’s Home, which takes care of disadvantaged youth, and my band opened for him. I was nervous at first but later in the show, when he invited me to play onstage with him and we traded solos while walking parallel up the aisle in the audience, I felt like this was a musical high I could get used to!” Hulon’s later idea to hire the veteran saxman to compose a jingle for his practice inspired Kashiwa to write an extended version called “Dr. Goodfoot,” which ultimately became the first track they recorded on First Impressions. The title is a nod to James Brown’s classic “Get on the Good Foot.” Once Hulon received the blessing of his wife Dinah and the encouragement of his children, he enlisted Kashiwa to help him develop a full length album project—beginning with four demos that Kashiwa had sent him after “Dr. Goodfoot.” “The experience was surreal,” Hulon says, “as if I were suddenly on this fast track. A few years earlier, I wasn’t even playing the horn, and here I was in a studio recording with a world renowned saxophonist who believed in my potential as an artist. He saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. “Even as he was producing me,” he adds, “he was my teacher and mentor, telling me what I needed to do, helping make me a better player. The cool thing about Jeff is that he always has a goal for me inside his mind. He won’t always tell me what it is, but when I hit it, he tells me and then raising the bar. With constructive criticism, he knows how to get the best out of me. The experience became even more intense as we worked on After Hours. I am feeling more confident about myself as a player and artist than ever and am able to nail a song much faster. The first time we ever recorded, it took me eight hours to do the first song and four days to do three songs. This time we got almost the whole album done in three days—all thanks to Jeff’s encouragement and gentle push at the right times.” Believing that “versatility is survivability,” Hulon (with Kashiwa’s guidance) breaks the mold of the typical urban jazz output these days by offering a wide variety of styles and grooves behind his rich emotional tenor melodies. That’s not surprising considering the wide variety of genres he listens to on his iPod—from hip hop and country to orchestral and classical music. Yet beyond simply providing musical pleasure to the genre’s adult audiences, he says, “I want to be inspiring to children and a good role model to them the way I have strived to be with my own kids. I’m really enjoying this journey every step of the way. As with medicine, I get great personal joy and satisfaction having people appreciate what I do. My time in the office is devoted to physical healing. But when I’m recording or playing live onstage, that’s when the spiritual healing begins.”

Web: www.mileshighproductions.com

Chip chip@mileshighproductions.com

Alvin Batiste

Alvin Batiste was a New Orleans clarinetist often referred to as a "Legendary Pioneer of Jazz.  He was a true Renaissance man- considered a music pioneer, master teacher, outstanding composer, arranger, an inspiring mentor, as well as a stellar performer. He was also an explorative, avant-garde player who wrote countless musical arraignments but remained under-recognized and under-recorded throughout his career.

Batiste, who was a childhood friend of Ed Blackwell and spent time in Los Angeles in 1956 playing with Ornette Coleman, could have “made it big” as a performer and recording artist. Instead, he chose the life of an educator in Louisiana.

He was the first African-American student to perform as a guest soloist playing with the New Orleans Philharmonic on Mozart’s Concerto.  He also played with the Ray Charles Orchestra and the American Jazz Quintet and recorded with AFO Records, the company credited with New Orleans Modern Jazz. He was a member of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity, performed on two Julian Cannonball Adderly recordings, and made three albums with Clarinet Summit in the 1980s (a quartet also including John Carter, David Murray, and Jimmy Hamilton). He was later commissioned by the National Endowment for the Arts to compose a concerto for African instruments and orchestra. He went on to record only a handful of albums/CD’s between the 1980’s and his death in 2007; his last release- Marsalis Music Honors Series- Alvin Batiste, in which he played with Branford Marsalis and many other notable jazz musicians.   

Alvin’s career spanned more than five decades during which he received countless awards and honors. These include:

• The National Association of Jazz Educators’ National Humanitarian Award
• The International Association of Jazz Educators’ Lifetime Achievement Award
• Offbeat Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Art Education
• Governor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to Art Education
• The Southern University Distinguished Service Award
• Southern University’s Jazz Institute (founded by Batiste) renamed the Alvin Batiste Jazz Institute
• The Louis Armstrong Award
• National Black Music Caucus Outstanding Achievement Award
• Big Easy Awards- 1995 Jazz Artist of the Year
• The Jay Hay Fellows Award
• The Artist Fellowship Award by the Louisiana Division of the Arts

Through out his career, Alvin played and explored in several musical streams; jazz, classical, gospel, blues, diasporan (Cuba, Brazil, and African) and computer-based music. He performed regularly at a variety of local venues between New Orleans and Baton Rouge including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, He hosted the radio show Jazz Sessions at WBRH and conducted workshops/seminars at various universities including Harvard http://www.myspace.com/alvinbatiste/music 
http://www.alvinbatiste.net/University, Yale University, University of Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, University of Paris, and University of Bamako (Mali). He appeared in concert throughout West Africa, Europe, and the United States including Carnegie Hall.

NATE PRUITT JAZZ VOCALIST

NATE PRUITT JAZZ VOCALIST

Nate Pruitt is a local Jazz Vocalist that I  had the pleasure of meeting some years ago, when my husband was performing together with Nate at Club Garden City, the former jazz hub of San Jose. Nate is acclaimed to be the finest jazz scatting vocalist on the west coast, after hearing him perform in person I truly believe it. Nate is known for his trade mark deep Southern yodel. Nate met guitarist Rick Vandivier when he was performing at Club Garden City and formed the duo Primary Colors. This duo often featuring great musician throughout the bay area, one that comes to mind is drummer Bryant Mills.

Nate also has recorded on Steve Czarnecki Soul Jazz Quintet in 1997, Soul Rendezvous in 2001,  with A little Night music Late One Night in 1983 and Sitting Ducks in 1984. Nate’s music has been featured in  movies The Lost Man with Sidney Poitier and Mad City with John Travolta and Dustin Hoffman. Nate has appeared at the Monterey Jazz & Blues Festival.

Nate loves and shares is music with his students, he teaches at Gavilan college in Gilroy. He also teaches privately as well. Nate lives in Morgan Hill if your lucky and you happened to be in Morgan Hill at D’Vine Jazz & Wine you might catch Primary Colors. Nate Pruitt one of the best jazz vocalist of our time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ2AeY46C9Y&feature=related

http://www.primarycolorsmusic.com/nate.html

Spyro Gyra

Spyro Gyra via last.fm

 

 

Spyro Gyra became a famous jazz fusion group during the late 1970's, with a unique, instrumental sound that combines smooth jazz with elements of R&B, funk, and pop music.  Their cheerful blend of percussion, piano, saxophone, and guitar immediatly caught my own ear, as I remember listening constantly during my college years....and bying their first three albums! My favorite was "Morning Dance" which played on every popular radio station back then, as its hit single helped propel them to national, and international fame. Spyro Gyra went on to release 25 albums, selling over 10-million copies.... which made them one of the most prolific, commercially successful groups on the jazz scene. The band was originally formed by alto saxophonist and song writer Jay Beckenstein, who met keyboardist Jeremy Wall in highschool, where the two began playing outdoor, summer concerts in their hometown of Buffalo, New York. They performed instrumental covers of mostly R&B songs before finally hitting the Buffalo club scene in their college years, adding bassist Jim Kurzdorfer and drummer Tom Walsh to the group, as well as asking guest players to join their early jam sessions.  "Buffalo was like a mini Chicago back then", says bandleader Beckenstein--"with smokin blues, jazz, soul, and even rockabilly scene, of all things"..  After a few years, the 'Spyro Gyra' sound evolved into what pianist Wall called a "gutbucket of rhythmic tradition....an oddball mix of simple music, and esoteric stuff that became our own groove". Sharing that groove were other artists, many becoming  intermittant and short term band members over the years....including Umbopa Latimer, Tom Schumann, Alfred Rapillo, Rick Strauss, Tom Walsh, Tom Duffy, Dave Samuels, Rubens Bassini, Ted Reinhardt, Gerardo Valez, Mark Quinonez, Scott Ambush, and Chet Catallo. As Spyro Gyra's popularity sky-rocketed, they began playing everywhere, not just New York, but around the country, and the world....averaging over 100 touring dates a year-- a pace that continues to this day! Over the past 30-years the majority of thier 25 albums and 3 compilation box-sets have cracked 'Billboard's' top 20 list, along with 12 "Grammy Award" nominations! With the exception on founder Beckenstein and keyboardist Tom Schulmann, Spyro Gyra's personnel has changed somewhat over time, however, thier touring stamina has not!  They're playing in Washington, D.C. right now, and then off to Jacksonville, Atlanta, Temecula, California, and Mexico...before heading up to Canada, back east through July....and on to Norway by mid-August.  Let's just hope they never change that name!  I've often wondered how they ever came up with "Spyro Gyra"?  I finally found out while writing this blog!  "Spirogyra" is actually a sickly-green colored algae that Beckenstein wrote a paper on in college biology class.  One night in Buffalo, a club owner forced him to name his band (immediatly) for some promotional sign! Beckenstein quickly blurted out the name of that algae, and the club owner miss-spelled it SPYRO GYRA. The name, and the band, stuck..around-- to entertain jazz audiences for three decades, and for many more decades to come! Thanks, and tune into the JAZZ CAFE on Streetwise Radio! Sincerely, PeteCam4

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Marcus Williams

It is not often that a new icon of music emerges, Marcus Williams is sure to be one of the next jazz icons to hit the music scene in years. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Marcus was born and raised in a musical family. His father was a highly trained jazz drummer and educator; while his sister studied classical piano. Marcus musical foundation is based on the jazz, and R&B style. Later on in years, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the world renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston Mass. After school, Marcus took his time working with a number of top-notch media companies; composing and producing music for many projects. He has produced music for media giants such as Virgin Entertainment, Columbia Tri Star Pictures, Discovery Channel, 20th Century Fox Entertainment and many more.

After recording and producing music professionally for 15 years Marcus took back to his first instrument and love the trumpet. He started to focus on his first solo cd titled Unspoken Words, released under his private record label MYWPMUSIC Records. He has since recorded his first commercial success cd titled Secrets.’Marcus’ style is ever changing as this multi talented producer/composer records out of his private studio located in Bali Indonesia. Marcus records exclusively on his record label and production company MYWPMUSIC Media Group USA. Be sure to hear the man, the music, and sound of Marcus Williams ~ Jenny Mcbride ~ Jazz Globla Media

Where to Buy: Amazon.com,  Mywpmusic.com

Stanley Jordan

Stanley Jordan via last.fm

Stanley Jordan is a 50-year old American jazz guitarist from Chicago, Illinois, who is one of the most educated, deep-thinking musicians of his time!  He started studying and playing the piano at age six, before shifting focus to the guitar when he was eleven.

Jordan soon began playing in rock and soul bands, before winning his first award at the 'Reno Jazz Festival' in 1976, however, even more amazing was his rise to educational heights.  In 1981, Jordan received a BA degree in digital music composition from Princeton University, and another degree from Harvard by the end of that same year...while at the same time playing guitar with Benny Carter and Dizzy Guillespie.

It was during this time that Jordan also developed a now-famous "tapping" technique with his guitar by hammering the string against the fret board with your finger, where-by you can produce a note with one hand.

"You don't need to pluck or strum, because the impact of the string hitting the fret causes the string to vibrate", assures Jordan.  "You can use either hand or both, tapping simultaneously and performing independant parts, which easily produces a level of musical and orchestral complexity found only on keyboard instruments".

"I've used the technique on Fender Stratocasters, Gibson Les Pauls and ES-175's, Travis Beans, and others.  Chances are you can apply the technique to your own guitar with a few minor adjustments".

Jordan credits 1950's guitarist Jimmy Webster as the first to use this approach, and claims this "touch" technique(now used world-wide) provides limitless possibilities for musical exploration on the guitar.

During the 1980's, Jordan toured the jazz festival circuit playing at the 'Kool and Montreaux International' festivals, and the 'Concord Jazz Festival' in California....while also jamming with Quincy Jones, Michael Urbaniak, and Richie Cole.

However, since working at 'Birdland Jazz Club' in New York through 1990, Jordan has kept a low profile after becoming upset with several music factions who wanted to claim the "Jordan" sound as their own...thus placing market constraints and demands on him and his music.

But, through it all Jordan has managed to put out thirteen albums, the most notable and recent called "State of Nature".  It is a series of guitar instrumentals that reflect on the relationship between humankind and the natural world.

Through music, Jordan tries to address Man's inharmony toward self, other, and nature....using music to illuminate answers to questions like: "How can we be so knowingly destructive to the enviornment and yet not change our ways, and how might we develop ourselves on the inside to become more harmonious with nature"? Pretty deep for a jazz guitarist!

Jordan's hit single on the album 'Steppin Out', was one of two in his career nominated for Grammy's for Best Pop Instrumental.  Following a brief marriage, Jordan had a 26-year old daughter named Julia,  a singer/song writer living Los Angeles,California who recently released an album called 'Urban Legacy'... which won positive reviews in 2007.

As for Stanley Jordan, he currently lives in Sedona, Arizona and is entrenched in the deep study of music therapy, after becoming a spokesperson for the the American Music Therapy Association.  Not surprisingly, he also attends Arizona State University and is working on a Masters degree in, what else...music therapy!  

Thanks, and keep listening to Streetwise Radio!

PeteaCam4

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RONNIE LAWS

RONNIE LAWS

Ronald Wayne “Ronnie” Laws born October 3, 1950 in Houston Texas. I was listening to Ronnie Laws in the 70s, he was one of my parents favorite musicians. Ronnie was the fifth on eight children, he followed in his older brother Hubert Laws flautist footsteps and played the saxophone & flute. Ronnie joined Earth Wind & Fire in 1972, he played on their album Last Days and Time. Ronnie left Earth Wind & Fire soon afterwards, long before they became famous. In 1976 Pressure Sensitive album was the start of Ronnie’s solo career, on this album was his most famous instrumental song “Always There” this song became a instant jazz-funk classic and is covered by many artists. Ronnie released his second album Flame, he released a 12” single called “All for you”. this album had a strong vocal presence. From previous albums two additional singles were released “Let’s Keep it Together” and “Nothing’ ‘bout nothing”. Ronnie’s 12” single was first issued in the UK and the US, this format paved the way for other artist to promote themselves without putting out a full album. Ronnie Laws is not only a terrific saxophone player he is also a vocalist. Some of his notable vocal songs are “Every Generation” my all time favorite, also “Stay Awake” and “Mr. Nice Guy”. Ronnie Laws recorded with many artist such as Arthur Adams, Howard Hewitt, Ramsey Lewis, Jeff Lobber, Hugh Masekela, Alfonse Mouton, David Sea and Sister Sledge. In 1999 at the Montréal Jazz festival a group of musicians which included Boney James, Rick Braun, Kirk Whilom and Larry Carlton did a tribute to Ronnie Laws’ “Always There”. Ronnie Laws one of my favorite saxophone players, I grew up listening to his music. No matter if he’s playing solo or with other artist his music is enjoyed by everyone.


LM

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Herbie Hancock

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Born Herbert Jeffrey “Herbie” Hancock April 12, 1940 is an American jazz
pianist and composer. Herbie is regarded as one of the greatest living
jazz musicians and one of the most influential in the 20th century.
Herbie’s music is a taste of funk and soul while adopting freer stylistic elements from jazz. Herbie was a part of Miles Davis’s “second great quintet”. Herbie helped redefine the role jazz rhythm section and is one of the first jazz musicians to embrace the synthesizers and funk.“Cantaloupe Island”. “Watermelon Man”, Maiden Voyage”, “Chameleon”, “I
Thought It Was You” and “Rockit” were his best known solos; he won a Grammy for Rockit in 1988. Herbie’s 2007 tribute album “River: The Joni Letters” won the 2008 Grammy Award For Album of the Year, only the second album to win the award, the first in 1965 Getz/Gilberto. Head Hunters
album was released in 1973 this album was a major hit and crossed over to the pop audiences even though jazz fans called him a “sell out” the “Head Hunters album is still fresh and vital after three decades. I was introduced to Herbie Hancock in 1973 by my Aunt Bliss, she was watching us
kids while my parents were gone on a weekend trip. She just bought The Head Hunters album, and played it all weekend, that’s when I started liking jazz. The following year Head Hunters second album “Thrust” was released.
Herbie’s other jazz funk album were Man-Child in 1975 and Secrets in1976. The Headhunters original band Herbie put together consist of Bennie Maupin multireedist, Paul Jackson bassist. Bill Summers percussionist and Harvey Mason drummer. Head Hunters album had a influence on jazz, as well as funk, soul, and hip hop. Herbie composed sound tracks for films. In 1973 The Spook Who Sat By The Door, in 1974 Death Wish. Herbie’s three albums Future Shock(1983), Sound System(1984) and Perfect Machine(1988) were criticized by critics they said it should have been labeled “Bill Laswell featuring Herbie Hancock.“ In 2005 half of Herbie’s Columbia recordings have been remastered, Sextant, Headhunters and Thrust as well
as Future Shock, Sound System, the sound track Round Midnight and Perfect Machine. Herbie performed and acted in the film Round Midnight. Herbie wrote the score and soundtrack for Round Midnight and won an Academy Award
for Original Music Score. Herbie. Herbie Hancock has truly changed jazz music and will always be one of my favorites.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbie_Hancock

LM

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