Michelle I . New Host of the Jazz Cafe

Originally from the East Coast, Michelle I now lives in Santa Clara, California. Michelle became a fan of jazz at the age of 10, listening to tunes of Coltrane, Ramsey Lewis, Booker T & MG’s and other great artist. She extended her music appreciation by playing music through high school. It wasn’t until her college days that fell in love with the Contemporary Jazz Sounds of Noel Pointer, Earl Klugh, Yellow Jackets, Joe Sample, Quincy Jones and other.  Michelle later went on to produce/write/direct her own Jazz Show called the Jazz Scene which feature local jazz artist and national Jazz Artist such as her idol Ramsey Lewis, Art Porter, Masa, Stanley Clark, Jean-Luc Ponty,  Al De Meola just to name a few.

Now she’s back in the Jazz Scene hosting The Jazz Café, sharing her love of jazz and inside knowledge of the Jazz World.

MONDAY MICHIRU

Born August 19, 1963 in Tokyo, Japan, Monday Michiru was named by her parents, jazz pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi and jazz saxophonist Charlie Mariano, to reflect both her Japanese and American heritage. With music obviously in her
blood, Monday showed interest in the arts from an early age, studying modern dance and ballet from the age of 8, and classical flute from 11 years of age.
After winning first place in several local flute competitions in Los Angeles, she attended the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan and was recognized for her talent and awarded a scholarship from both the Armstrong Flute Association and Interlochen Arts Academy to attend the prestigious school full
time, which she did from 1979-1981. During her years at IAA, she studied the flute and also minored in voice and performed with the school orchestra, choir and choral groups.
After graduating IAA, Monday shifted her studies from the classical flute and began concentrating on the voice more seriously. In 1987, she was scouted by a young Japanese movie director, Shinji Somai, to appear as a lead in his movie“Hikaru Onna” (“Luminous Woman”) about an opera singer; Mr. Somai was
infamous in Japan for starring unknown young people who had never had previous experience in acting. Monday decided to move to Japan to coincide with the filming of the movie, which entered the International Tokyo Film Festival in 1987, earning honorable mention for Best Actress. She debuted in the film under the stage name Michiru Akiyoshi which earned her Best New Actress
awards from Kinema Junpo, The Japan Academy, and the Yokohama Film Festival.
At the urging of her management company in Japan, she continued in her newfound and unexpected film career, expanding into other fields such as radio DJ, modeling, appearing on television as a “personality,” and even tried her hand
at journalism. It was in 1991 that she finally had the opportunity to reroute her endeavors back to her roots in music and released her debut solo album. By 1993, Monday steadily began recording and releasing albums in Japan and later in Europe, Australia, and South America, both solo and as a featured singer/writer for groups such as DJ Krush, Mondo Gross, Kyoto Jazz Massive,
Cosmic Village, Basement Jaxx and many others. She has also produced and remixed tracks for other artists. Monday has appeared in numerous music festivals and clubs both in Japan and Europe, including the Greater Tokyo Music Festival at Honmonji, Tokyo (2003), the Okayama Jazz Festival (2003), the Blue
Note Clubs in New York and throughout Japan, the Newport Jazz Festival in Madarao (1999), The Baltic Jazz Festival (1999), North Sea Jazz Festival (1997), Montreux Jazz Festival (1997), Stuttgart Jazz Festival (1997), The Phoenix
Festival (1996), Beppu Jazz Festival (1995), etc.
Monday Michiru now resides in New York and continues to record, produce and tour with her own group.

http://www.mondaymichiru.com/default.aspx?langID=1http://www.mondaymichiru.com/default.aspx?langID=1

Maceo Parker & Marcus Miller At the San Jose Jazz Festival

Maceo Parker via last.fm

Maceo Parker and Marcus Miller At the San Jose Jazz Festival

Maceo Parker has stood the test of time. His early beginnings with James Brown, made him known as the early pioneer of the funk and hip-hop we still dance to today. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon at San Jose Jazz Festival. Maceo blew his Sax horn like nobody I ever heard, the man is Funky, Jazzy and Bluesy. Maceo’s band was tight, the songs “Sing A Simple Song and  “Uptown Up” had the crowd on there feet. Maceo tribute to Ray Charles  “What I Say” was great. Maceo had this female singer, she put me in mind of Erykah Badu and Michele Chrisette she was so jazzy, bluesy and funky. In my opinion Maceo Parker gets better with age. He truly turned out the San Jazz Festival.

Maceo opened for Bass player Marcus Miller. Marcus Miller had some young musician backing him up. Most of the musician were in there Twenties. He had this Twenty Two year old Sax player, that young boy could blow that Sax. The drummer was driving every song and the keyboards were great.

Marcus Miller performed some of the music of Miles Davis, including “Tutu”, from the 1986 album Miller wrote and produce for the jazz legend.

Marcus Miller gave San Jose a taste of real jazz. I can say that the 2010 San Jose Jazz Festival was one that I won’t forget. I really enjoyed the people and the food.

http://maceoparker.com/biography.html

LM

Related articles by Zemanta

• Songbirds draw festival crowds (thestar.com)
• Marcus Miller: A Night in Monte Carlo | CD review (guardian.co.uk)
• Music Review: Marcus Miller Gets More From a Miles Davis Model (nytimes.com)
• SFist This Weekend (sfist.com)
• Blackwater & Bear Creek Fests At Spirit of Suwannee Music Park (jambase.com)
• Protests march into the night, while the jazz bands play on (theglobeandmail.com)
• Nightlife went on in and around downtown - sort of (theglobeandmail.com)
• Trumpeting Miles Davis (theglobeandmail.com)
• Funk Out Cancer Is Back for the UW Carbone Cancer Center (eon.businesswire.com)
• SF Jazz Fest Lineup: Taj Mahal, John Medeski, More (jambase.com)

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

Patricia Barber

Cover of The Cole Porter Mix

Barber was born in Chicago, Illinois, but was raised in South Sioux City, Nebraska by parents who were both professional musicians as well.  Her father, 'Floyd "Slim" Barber' is actually a former member of the great 'Glenn Miller's' band.

Her musical repertoire includes original compositions styled mostly after classic rock, including "Ode To Billie Joe", "A Taste Of Honey", and "Black Magic Woman".

For more than two decades, Barber, based in Chicago, has led her own band, and released a series of highly acclaimed, strikingly singular albums dating back to 1992's break out hit "Distortion Of Love", which featured her rendition of 'Smoky Robinson's pop hit "My Girl".

No one else was recording contemporary pop tunes in a jazz-like vein until then!  "I feel like a postmodern pioneer", says Barber.  "Back then the old distinctions between popular music and jazz were falling away, and the key hurdle was convincing listeners that there was life...after the era of iconic stars like 'Sarah Vaughan', 'Peggy Lee', 'Carmen McRae', and 'Ella Fitzgerald', she explains.

"In spite of lamenting the loss of Sarah, Peggy, Carmen, and Ella, and despite people simply ignoring change and wanting to own the music, it refused to be contained....and found its way, like water coursing through rocks!"

As Barber continued cutting albums throughout the '90's and into the next millennium, she also became known for writing intelligent, yet, sometimes complex songs with witty lyrics.  Her 2006 release called "Mythologies" provides one of the best examples of this style.

It is a set of songs based on 'Ovid's Metamorphoses'.  "Ovid" was a Roman poet who, in these verses, describes the history of the world from creation to the reign of Julius Caesar.  Believe it or not, this mythico-historic jazz album won brilliant reviews from 'Jazz Times' and "Down Beat" magazines, calling it intellectually stimulating,and thus declaring Barber the most interesting singer-songwriter-pianist on the American jazz scene!

She would go on to release two more albums, including 2008's "The Cole Porter Mix', a collection of her unique takes on the classic 'Cole Porter Songbook'.  "Porter has always been my songwriting idol!"  I love his music, and have been singing his songs since I was a kid", says Barber.

With this latest mix of songs, Barber adds just one more remarkable chapter to a career that continues to explore intriguing, improvisational terrain.  Indeed, Patricia Barber has become the vanguard of female vocalists and instrumentalists!

Thanks, and check out Patricia Barber on "Streetwise Radio's" Jazz Cafe!

Sincerely,  PeteCam4

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

Related articles by Zemanta

• Your Favorite Jazz Group? (pianodiana.blogspot.com)
• The Friday Five: February 19, 2010 (ickmusic.com)
• Frankie Avalon, 'Idols' and Music Icons Highlight 2010-11 Admiral Theatre Season (kitsapsun.com)
• Jazz Breakfast with Randal Carr and Frank Reilly at the Portland Museum of Art (thevalleyvoice.org)
• LIST: Grammy Award Winners 2010: http://bit.ly/c1sSMg #grammys (calacanis.com)

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