Daniel D. Amazing Violist

The only thing that came to me when I first heard Daniel D was Wow! This young musician is truly amazing; he plays the violin so beautifully.Daniel D is a young 22 year old talent from Charleston South Carolina.Daniel D discovered his gift at the age of 12 year old; he grew up in the church. When he graduated from the School of Arts in 2007, he went on a world tour with the T-bone Ministries. In 2009 he released his first album ‘Play For Me’ soon after that he was opening for Jamie Foxx and Kayne West on B.E.T’s 106 & Park. Daniel D has performed for celebrities like President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, T.V. host Larry King and for Michael Jackson at Jessie Jackson’s birthday party. Daniel D released his

second album ‘Serenade’ in 2010.

Daniel D’s first album “Play For Me” is an Urban Jazz at its finest. The song “Play For Me” in which the album is titled is one of my favorites. Daniel D has two hot singles on this album “I Want You” and “That Guy”. On this album Daniel D has two classics like Quiet Storm, Sweet Thang. I think you urban jazz lovers will enjoy this album it is easy listening. Daniel D’s went another direction on his second album ‘Serenade’, this album has a Hip Hop R&B fill. Daniel D is Serenading you with his brilliant playing of his violin on the Serenade song. I really like the song ‘Symphony’ it is a catchy tune. Daniel D other hot single on this the song ‘Fly Away featuring Faith Lyn’ it is an inspirational song. Daniel D is a talent that we will be hearing a lot more of, he is truly has a gift.

LM

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http://www.danieldmusic.com/

.usic.com/

De Phazz Hits Streetwise Radio

This group is one of my favorites. The combination of modern jazzy grooves and hip beats is refreshing when you can hear them on radio. Because we are changing the way you listen to music, you can hear them here on Streetwise Radio.


Bio:
M. Ealey


De Phazz is a downtempo jazz ensemble integrating modern turntablism and elements of soul, latin,trip hop and drum and bass into a lounge music sound. De Phazz is led by Pit Baumgartner, a German producer who changes his crew for every new album. Some of the more permanent members are Karl Frierson and Pat Appleton. Since the release of Detunized Gravity and Godsdog, De Phazz have appeared on the radar of listeners of equally innovative and sample-driven jazz by the likes of Amon Tobin and The Cinematic Orchestra. The band has released records on Mole Listening Pearls and Universal Jazz Germany along with single releases on Edel Records and United Recordings, and also remixes existing material.

Clarence Clemons (The Big Man) January 11, 1942-June 18, 2011

The Big Man Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. the tenor saxophone player in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band passed away from complications of a stroke he had suffered on June 12, 2011. Clarence Clemons played on various musicians albums. Clarence did a vocal duet with Jackson Browne ’You’re a Friend of Mine’ and “Freeway of Love’ Arethea Franklin’s hit single. He also collaborated on Lady Gaga songs “Hair and ’The Edge of Glory’ from her Born This Way album. Clarence Clemons was not only a musician he was also an actor as well. Clarence Clemons made his screen debut in Martin Scorsese’s musical New York, New York in 1977, where he played a Trumpet Player. Clarence also played one of the ’Three Most Important People In The World’ in the film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure in 1985. Clarence Clemons guest stared on Diff’rent Strokes where he helped Arnold Jackson (Gary Coleman) to play the Sax. Clarence Clemons appeared twice on the episode The Wire, as a youth-program organizer. Clarence Clemons was a great Saxophone player who will be part of history in the music world. I never got to see Clarence Clemons in person, but seeing him on videos was a treat. Clarence Clemons Saxophone playing will be missed.


LM


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

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.

Ray Piper

Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1950 he began playing and studying guitar at age 15. He played professionally in Melbourne for 5 years before going to L.A. to study with jazz great Joe Pass in 1973-74. He immigrated to Canada in 1975 performing in various bands while studying jazz, composition and arranging at Vancouver Community College and Capilano College. He then went on to study composition, electronic music and music for dance and theatre for three years at Simon Fraser University.


Ray has travelled to Brazil many times, concentrating on exploring different areas of the country and their unique musical styles. He studied there with great Brazilian guitarists Marco Pereira, Cristina Azuma and Paulinho Noguera as well as Celso Machado in vancouver. In 2007 he returned to Brazil and attended the choro festival in Sao Pedro and then went and studied at Escola Portatil in Rio for three months with Mauricio Carrilho, Rogerio Caetano, Luis Flavio and other teachers at the school. He also worked on composition with Marcilio Lopes and Rogerio Souza and wrote choro works as well as attending regular choro circles playing 7 string guitar. His compositions draw on the many different styles of music found all over Brazil and the many musicians he performed with and who inspired him there especially the choro players.

He returned to Brazil in 2009 to record the CD “Ray Piper Sabor Do Rio” which was a culmination of the previous trip and was recorded in Rio and completed in Vancouver. He wrote additional material for the CD which was recorded with Ronaldo do Bandolim, Marcilio Lopes, Rogerio Souza, Eduardo Neves, Jorge Helder, Erivelton Silva, Jorginho Silva, Durval Pereira , Kiko Horta, Jaimie Vignoli, Tom Keenlyside, Michael Creber, Joao Hermeto and Fernanda Cunha who wrote the lyrics to the Bossa Novas. The tunes he composed reflect a jazz player's love of the music and people of Brazil.


Ray has performed throughout North, Central and South America and Australia at concerts, clubs and festivals, He has performed regularly at the Vancouver International Jazz festival, Victoria International Jazz festival has appeared at the Film Festival, Sea Fest, Harrison festival of the Arts. Has been featured on CBC's Hot Air with Neil Ritchie and West Coast Groove. His first CD Ray Piper and Fantazea was nominated for a West Coast music award.

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