Curtis Mcdonald's New Song "Manhattan" Now Playing On The Jazz Cafe.

We have been playing a number of songs from this brilliant artist on streetwise radio for a few months now. 

Curtis is about to release a new CD "Manhattan"

and what I have heard it is another great jazz  master peace. Listen to the Jazz Cafe and the song "Manhattan". He really captures the ambient sounds of New York.

Michael K. Ealey  

Biography

Curtis Macdonald creates reflective, passionate and emotional instrumental compositions that weave a tapestry of Downtempo, Chill, New Age and Smooth Acid Jazz into a sound uniquely its own: An effervescent and transparent wash of modern electronica with lyrical piano melodies and improvised solos. Memorable elements that compliment each piece with a romantic and soulful approach that has become a signature of his artistic style.

Signed to the independent label EverSound with Allegro distribution in 2002, Curtis has had two major releases, “Shadow Crossing” [EVM-3515] and “Everlasting” [EVM-3524] and is featured on many compilations as well as the newly released “EverSound 10th Anniversary” [EVM-3527].
His music is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, Walmart, iTunes, Amazon.com and many internet retailers.

His music has considerable airplay on Sirius Satellite Radio’s SPA 73, as well as many radio streaming websites. He charted in the New Age Reporter’s Top 100 artist of 2007, received Grammy nomination consideration for “Everlasting”, has won a variety of accolades and has a global fan base that continues to anticipate more new music from this emerging artist.

A self taught artist that became a graduate composer from California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California, Curtis continues to create image inspiring music. As well as an artist with his own “brand” of music, he has been a contributor to the entertainment industry for over 20 years as a composer for film, television, and new media.

http://www.myspace.com/curtismacdonald AVALIBLE April 5, 2011 .

RUSH HOUR with Jerry Grant and the L.A. NuJazz Alternative

BIOGRAPHY

Having had a career in film composition since 1978, Composer/Conductor Jerry J. Grant has scored and supervised or conducted nearly 500 episodes of television film and features.

Jerry began his career as a jazz/studio musician in Detroit, contributing to MOTOWN tracks, while composing and performing in the concert medium. He attended WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY where he received a first degree in music and subsequently attended the DETROIT INSTITUTE OF MUSICAL ARTS. While serving in the U.S. Army, Jerry was chosen for the faculty at the band training school. Entering the All Army entertainment contest, he became a finalist with his co-led jazz group. From there he was chosen to be musical director and arranger for the ROLLING ALONG SHOW (a 25 member variety review) which toured the world entertaining military personnel. Relocating to Los Angeles and continuing an advanced degree in composition at USC, he became a studio performing musician on saxophone and flute and began vocal, string and horn arranging for records as well as songwriting, landing a contract at ABC records.

The year 1999 signalled a return to his roots with a new alternative jazz/rock orchestra, the music being an eclectic blend of dramatic music, jazz, rock and symphonic techniques. The NUJAZZ ALTERNATIVE was born with a CD being released in 2001.

Studying conducting while receiving a master's degree in composition from CAL STATE UNIVERSITY NORTHRIDGE led to conducting the musicals HELLO DOLLY, MAME and CABARET. Jerry was also the guest conductor at the Sun Valley Idaho Summer Symphony, conducted the premiere of his composition, ALCHEMY, with the UCLA Wind Ensemble in 2000 and conducted the premiere of his work, CLASSICAL SERENADE with the Music in the Mountains Chamber Orchestra in 2006. He also performs with the Nevada County Composer's Cooperative.

His experience includes conducting many motion pictures and television shows for other composers in Los Angeles. As an orchestrator, he has created glittering sounds for DISNEY ON ICE for years as a well as contributing to feature films.

Jerry taught Composing and Conducting for Film at UCLA for 12 years and currently is a visiting professor at CSU CHICO in composition and orchestration. As a member of the SCL (Society of Composers and Lyricists) he served on the board of directors, headed the SCL's seminar program as well as their representative to BMI. He is a member of BMI. 

All original compositions, the project is a challenging blend of pre-programmed digital audio (synths, percussion, strings and keyboards) and 13 live musicians. The CD RUSH HOUR with Jerry Grant and the L.A. NuJazz Alternative, features L.A.'s finest studio artists. They include:

  Jerry Grant - Composer/Conductor and programming

  Phil Feather - Alto Sax, flute, piccolo, English horn

  Glen Garrett - Soprano and tenor sax, flute

  Jay Mason - Baritone sax, flute

  John Mitchell - Baritone sax, flute, bassoon

  Wayne Bergeron - Trumpet, flugelhorn

  John Fumo - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

  Alan Kaplan - Trombone

  Jim Atkinson - French horn

  Greg Williams - French horn

  Jim Self - Tuba, bass trombone, fluba

  Ross DeRoche - Tuba, bass trombone, fluba

  Alan Steinberger - Keyboards

  John Goux - Electric guitar

  Mitch Holder - Electric guitar

  Karl Vincent - Electric bass

  Willie Ornelas - Drums

  Brad Dutz – Percussion

ESPERANZA SPALDING

Esperanza Spalding won a Grammy award for Best New Artist. She grew up in the King neighborhood of Portland Oregon that she describes as the “ghetto” and “pretty scary”.Esperanza and her brother were raised by their mother. When Esperanza was four years old she was inspired to pursue a life in music while watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and classical cellist YoYo Ma. 

At the age of five Esperanza taught herself to play the violin and she started playing with the Chamber Music Society of Oregon. Esperanza stayed with the Chamber Music Society until she was fifteen and left as a concertmaster. Esperanza is a self taught musician, she also plays the oboe and the clarinet, but her love is the bass. Esperanza says discovering the bass was like "waking up one day and realizing you’re in love with a co-worker."

At the age of 15 or 16 Esperanza wrote lyrics for a local rock/pop band Noise for Pretend and started doing vocals for them. Esperanza’s vocal style is jazzy with a scanting quality about it.

Esperanza attended Berklee College of Music, but found it hard to meet living expenses even though she had a full scholarship. Esperanza started to give up music and go into political science; but jazz guitarist and composer Pat Metheny told Esperanza she had “the X Factor” and that she could make it if she applied herself. Esperanza toured with Patti Austin for three years and saxophonist Joe Lovano while attending Berklee. Esperanza was awarded the Boston Jazz Society scholarship for outstanding musicianship in 2005. That same year she was the first ever youngest professor in the institutions history, at the age of 20.

 I had not heard of Esperanza Spalding until she won the Grammy for Best New Artist. It is great that she won beating out the other artist in that category, Justin Beiber. To have a real musician who can play an instrument and sing in my opinion is great.

I hope the people who vote for the nominees realize that it’s not always about popularity. Esperanza Spalding is a great Jazz musician and singer and we will be hearing a lot more from her for years to come.


LM

http://wiki.ask.com/Esperanza_Spalding

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-rWNAQx1ZE

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Groove 55 “En Route” Now Playing on Streetwise Radio

Groove 55 presents its new release “En Route”, an uptempo smooth jazz album, foot-tapping, rhythm blended & steeped in rich harmonic original melodies!

Collectively, the four band members bring decades of music experience to the project having worked with Oliver Jones, Gregory Charles, & Zachary Richard to name but a few. So it seems almost fitting that they would come together as a unified collective to share in their many years of creative experience and knowledge to create “En Route”.

The Groove 55 members, all very talented esteemed musicians, consists of Yves Adam (alto, tenor & soprano sax) a graduate of McGill’s music faculty in jazz performance as well as teaching saxophone at The Montreal International Jazz festival Blues Camp. Jacques Mignault (Rhodes, piano, clavinet, synths)studied alongside Art Roberts at Montreal’s Concordia University, he would later go on to win the inaugural grand prize of the Roland Synthesizer music contest among hundred’s of entrants spanning over 22 countries that was judged by the late great Oscar Peterson. Yves Nadeau (bass) is a veteran of the Montreal Jazz scene, having played hundred’s of shows on stages all over Quebec with his bands Solstice & Expresso. Rounding out the Montreal quartet is Jacques Gagne (drums) he himself well known and ensconced early on with some of the biggest TV shows in Quebec and on the touring scene – Together they make up Groove 55 the number that has the remarkable property of being the 10th number of the Fibonacci suite and is the sum of the numbers 1 to 10…..The most important part is it’s groove and this band has it in spades with their new release “EnRoute”!

Our MySpace group page is at: www.myspace.com/groove55jazz

GREG MANNING

Every now and then a uniquely talented artist, through fresh and innovative musical content, transfers a resurgence of life into the veins of a genre. This is indicative of Greg Manning’s passion to reach his listeners through melodic tunes that reach your soul.

Greg Manning, who is the former keyboardist and music director for GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist Jonathan Butler and keyboardist for Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Richard Elliot, Brian McKnight, Chante Moore, and Kirk Whalum, just to mention a few, guides his listeners on a journey of life’s influences compiled into his highly anticipated solo project titled The Calling. The Calling, which features the talents of acclaimed guitarist Keb’Mo’ and smooth jazz artists Kirk Whalum and MIndi Abair, is the convergence of jazz, soul, and funk, combined with musical inspiration from artists such as, Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock/

After touring extensively for ten years throughout the U.S., Europe, South Africa, and the U.K., Greg made a conscious decision to come off the road. Not too long thereafter, he started composing music for film and television. Yet, he felt it was time to do his own project. “I think for any sideman, he says, there always comes a time when you hear your own voice and you want to do your own thing,” and that’s exactly what he did. Greg began writing for The Calling in 2004 and officially released his solo project worldwide on iTunes on April 5th, 2010. “I wanted the project to be a great, coherent, accessible CD and not some hybrid thing that doesn't please anybody fully.” There is a lot to be said about Greg Manning the artist, but it would only take away from what his music has to say.

Greg Manning is a Berklee College of Music alum and an amalgam of cultures. He was born in Nigeria and raised in Switzerland. Greg moved to Los Angeles in 2002 and has had an incredible career. He is a three-time certified platinum producer for Universal Music Switzerland, and has had several Swiss Chart toppers since 1996.

Greg Manning, the man and his music. Soul-Jazz at its best!

Press Quotes

”He was introduced to the crowd as Greg Manning, and we were told that we’d be blown away with his playing. That was an understatement. I decided to find out more about him through others in the band. The more I learned, the more I was intrigued. So, now I present to you, keyboardist Greg Manning.”-Bonnie Schendell, SmoothViews.com
”Greg Manning's The Calling shines brightly. Give this album a listen, it's without no doubt worth to spend some of your precious time.”
-Hans-Bernd Hülsmann

JAZZ SAXOPHONIST JAMES MOODY PASSED ON

Image via Wikipedia

James Moody was born in Savannah, Georgia on March 26, 1925. His family moved to Newark New Jersey, because Georgia school system wanted to put him in a retarded school. Just because he was partially deaf. Moody did not like to be called James he like just Moody. His uncle gave him a alto sax as a gift, when he turned 16. A couple of years later Moody went to see the Count Basie Band at the Adams Theater in Newark, New Jersey. After hearing Buddy Tate and Don Byas perform he fell under the spell of the full-bodied tenor saxophone.

Moody join the US Army Air Corps in 1943, he played in the Negro band on a segregated base. When he was discharged from the military in 1946 he played be-bop with Dizzy Gillespie for two years. In 1948 he recorded with Blue Note Records, that same year he relocated to Europe. Moody lived there for three years. He said he was “ scarred by racism”. While over in Europe he recorded “Moody’s Mood for Love”. On this recording he added the alto sax to his repertoire and this established him as recording artist.

Moody was a part of the growth of European jazz. Moody was sued by Jimmy McHugh the original author of “I’m in the Mood for Love” for copyright infringement and lost. Moody and Jimmy eventually agreed to share the proceeds on sales of any version of the tune.

Some of the artist who recorded their own versions of the tune were King Pleasure in 1954, Van Morrison, George Benson, Aretha Franklin, Queen Latifah, Tito Puente, Kermit Ruffins, The Ray Gelato Giants, Amy Winehouse and George Fame. Quincy Jones in 1995 released a multi harmony version of the track on his Q’s Jook Joint album featuring my all time favorite Take Six in collaboration with Brian Mcknight. The Jersey Boys musical featured the song and it was also feature on a episode of The Cosby Show. Moody in

2005 established the Moody Scholarship Fund at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College- SUNY-State University of New York.

 James Moody passed on, on December 9, 2010 from complications of pancreatic cancer. I never got to see James Moody in person, but listening to his music is truly a joy. Moody your up there with the greats now continue to blow your horn. You will be missed, but his music will live on.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moody%27s_Mood_for_Love#Cover_versions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Vj_CJJjvI&feature=fvsr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjv8tOJoBbE

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Pamela Rose: Jazz Artist Celebrates Women Songwriters

Pamela Rose: Jazz Artist Celebrates Women Songwriters

By Shelah Moody

Photo: Courtesy of Pamela Rose

            Pamela Rose is one of the Bay Area’s most prolific jazz and blues artists.  Along with being a vocalist, Rose is also an accomplished arranger, songwriter and organist who has toured with the late Merl Saunders and the Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra to name a few.

“I love San Francisco and the Bay Area, said Rose, who is married to Steven Dinkelspiel, publisher of “San Francisco” magazine. “I didn’t grow up here, but I feel like it’s the only place I’d want to live.”

            This week, Rose will bring her multi-media show, “Wild Women of Song,” which celebrates some of America’s finest female songwriters, including Peggy Lee, to Yoshi’s, Oakland (Nov. 9) and the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz (Nov. 11).

Rose will be backed by a predominantly female band which includes Tammy Hall (piano), Kristen Strom (saxophone), Ruth Davies (bass), Kent Bryson (drums) and Jeff Massanari (guitar).

Q: Tell us about your show, “Wild Women of Song…”

A: It’s not just the music; it’s a whole research project and a very different kind of jazz show.  About a year ago, I recorded an album called “Wild Women of Song: Gal Composers of the Jazz Era,” which was focused on the jazz standards and the American songbooks that were written by women. Songwriters are very important to me. I realized that I knew almost nothing about these women, unless they were famous singers. As an   old literature major, I started digging around, and I was totally fascinated about the research that popped up. What I’ll be doing at (my shows) is a multi-media show.  I project these photo archives of these women and tell their stories and then we perform the music. It’s a jazz and blues show for sure with some great local men and women performers. It’s also a larger educational project that tells compelling stories. We did the show in London and at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. We’ll be performing at the Sonoma Valley Jazz Society and at Feinstein’s in New York in January. There are a lot of exciting things happening for this show. We love these gals. These are some pretty feisty, prolific, hard working women and it’s kind of wonderful to get in their heads.                    

Q: Tell us about some of these women songwriters that you will be celebrating.

A: For instance, there’s Doris Fisher, who wrote a lot of great songs like “You Always Hurt the One You Love,” “Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall” and “Put the Blame on Mame.” She was actually called the Queen of the Juke Box, because she wrote so many hit songs. In terms of songwriting royalties, she completely trumped her father and brothers by being gold. Then, she had this fascinating after music life where she became interested in antiques had a little antique store in L.A.  Jackie Kennedy actually had her flown out to help consult about decorating the White House; she was so impressed with her.

Another would be Kay Swift. She was not as prolific as some as these women, but she wrote “Fine and Dandy” and “Can We Be Friends.” The interesting thing about her is that she had a very public and interesting relationship with George Gershwin, her romantic and musical soul mate. Her handwriting and suggestions appeared on Gershwin’s manuscripts from the day they met. Gershwin’s family acknowledges that a lot of his productivity was amazing probably because of her helping him. All the stories are on wildwomenofsong.com.  

Q: Out of all the songs written by women composers, which are your favorites?

A: Oh, it changes every time. Right now, I’m really loving “Just for a Thrill,” which was written by Lil Hardin Armstrong; it’s a ballad that she wrote as a torch song for her husband, Louis Armstrong. Lil was one of the first jazz pianists. She was playing with King Oliver’s Creole Jazz band in Chicago in the 1920s, before (Louis) joined the band.

Q: What was it like working with Merl Sanders?

A: Merl got me my start, really. I was so young when he took me on the road with him. He was so patient with me, because I was so green. I’m kind of crazy about the Hammond B3 organ and I still play with a couple of local organist. Merl really got me hooked on that particular instrument.

Pamela Rose performs:

Tonight, 8:00 p.m, Yoshi’s 's Jazz Club,  510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland.  www.yoshis.com/oakland.

Thursday, Nov 11, 7:00 p.m, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, 320 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz, www. www.kuumbwajazz.org.

For more information, go to http://www.pamelarose.com.