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Playing For Change at the LAC

IMN

February 3rd, 2012 – IMN Update:

From Mississauga.com

Playing For Change at the LAC
By: Julia Le

The Playing for Change band is coming to the Living Arts Centre on Feb. 16 to spread its message that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people.

The band will perform a mix of different genres including blues, gospel, reggae and Afropop.
The performance starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 and up.

Playing for Change was originally created by a small group of documentary filmmakers who traveled the world filming and recording musicians performing the same song, interpreted in their own style.

The crew became intimately involved with the music and people of each community they visited and realized that despite limited resources and a modest standard of living, many of the people were full of generosity, warmth, and above all connected to each other by a common thread — music.

However, over the course of filming the documentary Playing for Change: Peace Through Music, which was released in 2008, the crew wanted to do more than record and share the music with the world so they founded Playing for Change Foundation, a non-profit that supports artistic education in Ghana, South Africa, Nepal and Mali.

To read more click here

New Esperanza Spalding Song In Time For Black History Month

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February 3rd, 2012 – IMN Update:

From A Blog Supreme/NPR Jazz

New Esperanza Spalding Song In Time For Black History Month
By: PATRICK JARENWATTANANON

This song, “Black Gold,” is the first single from the forthcoming Esperanza Spalding record, Radio Music Society.

The Afro-centric implication of the title is no coincidence. The song was released yesterday, Feb. 1 — the first day of Black History Month. The video was premiered yesterday on a network called Black Entertainment Television. And to these ears, the music itself connects jazz aesthetics to sounds of black popular music today.

In case that message wasn’t clear, Spalding wrote some commentary on the track for members of the press:

This song is singing to our African American heritage before slavery. Over the decades, so much of the strength in the African American community has seeded from resistance and endurance. I wanted to address the part of our heritage spanning back to pre-colonial Africa and the elements of Black pride that draw from our connection to our ancestors in their own land. I particularly wanted to create something that spoke to young boys.

To read more click here

Cherishing the Ladies at City Winery

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February 3rd, 2012 – IMN Update:

From the Irish Examiner

Cherishing The Ladies On The High Seas
By: Gwen Orel

So much in demand are Cherish around the world that although they are largely hometown girls, they don’t play in Manhattan that often.

Sure you see them there-Joanie’s often appearing at 11th Street Bar’s session at 3am, livening it up.

When I saw Maura O’Connell at City Winery, I was alone – my friend had something come up – and Joanie waved me over.

City Winery, says Joanie, has taken the place of the Bottom Line – a comfortable, friendly place to see music (it also has, naturally, great wine, and good food)…

…The band started not too far from City Winery, on Varick Street, on Spring Street.

Their most recent album, Country Crossroads, celebrates 25 years, though on January 5 they celebrated their 27th anniversary.

“It’s a long way, a lot of miles and a lot of gigs, but we’re still having fun. And it’s always great to play a hometown show.”

To read more click here

Joe Lovano’s Us Five bring energy to burn

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February 2nd, 2012 – IMN Update:

from theglobeandmail.com

Joe Lovano’s Us Five bring energy to burn
By: J.D. Considine

Jazz saxophonist Joe Lovano brought his hot young quintet Us Five to Toronto Tuesday, in a makeup gig for an October show that had to be postponed after a freak blizzard grounded the band in New York.

Here are five things you should know about those Five:

Why Lovano is first among five

That Us Five is Joe Lovano’s band was obvious from the first notes. It wasn’t just that his tenor led the band into the opening tune, Us Five; Lovano both set the pace and directed the flow of the band, shaping the music even when he wasn’t playing.

In his grey Mao suit and black porkpie hat, Lovano was clearly the dominant figure onstage, and the fact that he played with such fire only underscored his authority. But he also has the great bandleader’s gift of being able to make each of his players shine brightly, and shine together, and that’s key to the band’s chemistry.

To read the full article click here

Esperanza Spalding Debuts "Black Gold"

IMN

February 1st, 2012 – IMN Update:

From Oregon Music News

Esperanza Spalding Debuts “Black Gold”
By: Robert Ham

As the jazz and pop fans of the world wait with breathless anticipation for the release of the next album by Esperanza Spalding (entitled Radio Music Society and due out on March 20th), the young bassist/vocalist has tantalized even further with the release of the first track from said full-length. Take a listen below and then read on to learn more about the album.

Eclectic jazz songstress and upright bass virtuoso Esperanza Spalding is back with “Black Gold”, the vivacious first single from her upcoming album, Radio Music Society. Unveiled just in time for the beginning of Black History Month, the song is triumphant testimony of empowerment, and is bound to become a celebratory anthem for people from all walks of life. “Black Gold” features guest vocals from neo-soul songbird Algebra Blessett. The track will impact urban radio shortly. Take a listen here.

The official video for “Black Gold” featuring Algebra Blessett will premiere later today on BET Network’s 106 & Park at 6pm EST.

Esperanza rose to new heights with the 2010 release of her breakthrough album, Chamber Music Society. Then she made headlines at last year’s Grammys when she snatched up the highly coveted award for “Best New Artist”, beating out fellow nominees Florence and the Machine, Drake, and Justin Bieber.

To read more click here

Check Out Kathy Mattea's New Website

IMN

February 1st, 2012 – IMN Update:

In anticipation of her upcoming album release, Calling Me Home, Kathy Mattea has given her website an entirely new look. New features include videos with sneak peeks at Calling Me Home and blog entries from Kathy’s trip on Al Gore’s Climate Reality Cruise to Antarctica.

Check it out at www.mattea.com

The Gloaming's Martin Hayes: Rhythm and Strings

IMN

January 31st, 2012 – IMN Update:

from Irish America

Martin Hayes: Rhythm and Strings

By Tara Dougherty

Whether playing solo or with the newly formed The Gloaming, Martin Hayes, the marvelously gifted fiddler, finds his mesmeric rhythm in the Irish tunes he learned from his father – the leader of the famed Tulla Ceili band – and other master musicians in east County Clare.

The first time I heard Martin Hayes it felt like an earthquake. Not ten seconds into his first tune, the ground started to pulsate, the bottles behind the bar were shaking as everyone in the room felt the urge to stamp their feet to the rhythm of Hayes’ fiddle. While there is undeniable electricity in the way Hayes commands an audience, it is juxtaposed with a very distinct gentleness. He plays as if each note is made of glass; mishandle it slightly and the emotion is shattered. As a man, he exudes that same gentleness. Quite soft-spoken and self-deprecating, the County Clare native is uninterested in fame and has no concern with being best. His concern, it seems, is always to connect with people. He works to be better only than himself, than how he played the day before.

Hayes, who now splits his time between Connecticut and Ireland, has lived in the U.S. for 23 years. As well as playing, he composes scores for film and stage. His newest project, The Gloaming, is a dream team of Irish and Irish American musicians. Hayes is joined by Caoimhin Ó Raghallaigh on fiddle, his longtime musical partner Dennis Cahill on guitar, the legendary Iarla Ó Lionáird on vocals, and newcomer Thomas Bartlett on piano.

I spoke with Hayes just before the group’s debut at Webster Hall, in New York City.

When did your life as a musician begin?

I started playing when I was seven. My father was a fiddle player in the Tulla Ceili Band so there was always music in the house, always musicians coming and going and people interested in music. I had been hearing traditional music as the predominant music form since I was a little child so it wasn’t something I had to get to know. I grew up in that environment. I don’t know that I exactly learned. I learned some tunes from my father, but there was a lot of just being around it, kind of absorbing it.

Read the full article here

Tillery: A Quiet Intensity

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January 31st, 2012 – IMN Update:

from revivalist.okayplayer.com

Tillery: A Quiet Intensity
By:Tamara Davidson

What better way to launch our vocalist issue than to feature an in depth interview with Tillery, an inspiring trio of vocalists who have their feet in the jazz world and have come together to make music that authentically expresses themselves. The ladies of Tillery, Rebecca Martin who has been playing music for over two decades in the jazz world as well performing as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, Gretchen Parlato one of the most respected jazz vocalists of our time, and Becca Stevens the youngest of the three who is already a prolific songwriter and guitarist are a powerful team. It is not everyday that you see three jazz vocalists coming together, which makes Tillery a quite refreshing and important group. Grounded in friendship and love, their music exudes compassion and warmth. The Revivalist spoke with Tillery while they were together at Rebecca Martin’s home in Upstate New York. These ladies shared their giggles, infectious energy, and wise words on what it means to be a jazz vocalist today.

You all have a very organic sound that is grounded in friendship, admiration, and love. Can you tell us how Tillery came to fruition?

Gretchen: I met Rebecca and Becca separately and when I met one Rebecca I thought of the other Rebecca. I thought that they should meet and connect because they would be musical friends and lovely human friends too. I separately had a musical relationship and friendship with both of them and I had a musical visit at Rebecca’s house, where we worked on some music and I suggested that she reach out to Becca. So then Rebecca connected with Becca. We eventually had a little hang like we are doing now, where we all came upstate and ate way too much food and drank wine and tea. We sat around a big table and Rebecca brought her guitar out and said, “let’s play something.” So we just worked on some music.

Becca: When we were playing the music we all had this similar feeling that this should last forever, it was an amazing feeling. Then we were listening back to the recording and we felt the same feeling. That was the root of the organic quality, that you are talking about.

To read the full interview click here

Altan Returns With New Album, US Tour

IMN

January 31st, 2012 – IMN Update:

From Irish Emigrant

Altan Returns With New Album, US Tour

Legendary Irish folk act Altan return to the limelight with a new album in February and a tour of the US, France and Norway.

Altan’s tenth studio album, Gleann Nimhe – The Poison Glen, will be a return to the outfit’s roots and will feature a more organic sound, with less reliance on guest appearances.

“We went back to the roots of the six members of the band, with only Harry Bradley and Jim Higgins as guests on this one,” vocalist and founding member Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh told The Journal of Music.

“I also wanted to have the voice more to the fore in terms of the sound, less produced so that we could bring the music into the listener’s room a little more.”

To read more click here

Moran & Holland: Jazz Royalty

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January 30th, 2012 – IMN Update:

From The Cornell Daily Sun

Jazz Royalty Captivates Barnes Hall
By: Daveen Koh

Darn that dream. You know there’s something great stirring when an audience maintains an awestruck silence (punctuated only by rapturous ovations) throughout a performance. Even before pianist Jason Moran and his special guest, bassist Dave Holland, could play one note, the effusive audience rolled out a red carpet for the duo. The affable and unassuming pair truly earned every inch of applause they received, holding nothing back as they took the audience through sprawling soundscapes and hypnotic tangoes. This intimate evening in Barnes Hall was infinitely better than a dream.

These titans never clashed. Holland’s philosophy of “playing it all” (on advice from another legendary jazz musician, Sam Rivers) was evidently shared by Moran. From Rivers’ “Beatrice” to Moran’s “Gummy Moon,” Moran and Holland were first-rate co-captains, eagerly and leisurely taking turns to steer the ship. Their partnership shone in “Gummy Moon,” Moran’s composition inspired by the many nights he spent reading “Goodnight Moon” to his small children. As Holland played a persistent and steadily comforting bass line, Moran’s soothingly-rendered notes gently crafted a dazzling narrative that sometimes leapt in surprise.

The duo certainly made working together look like a walk in the park. Well, actually, they did take the audience “Once Round Central Park.” The song, composed by their late friend Paul Motian and played in his honor, saw Moran and Holland conversing light-heartedly traipsed around the park. The pair displayed a startling ability to sketch out scenes and emotions, alternating between tranquil introspection (perhaps as they passed a lush field or paused by a magnificent fountain on their stroll) and effusive excitement.

To read more click here

REVIEW: Art of the Trio

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January 27th, 2012 – IMN Update:

from washingtonpost.com

BRAD MEHLDAU
Album review: “The Art of Trio Recordings: 1996-2001
By: Mike Joyce

When Brad Mehldau unveiled the first of five “The Art of the Trio” albums in 1997 while in his mid-20s, doubtless some jazz elders were amused by his audacity. Or was it naivete? No matter. As it turned out, the music recorded by the classically trained pianist and his exceptionally well-matched bandmates – bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jorge Rossy – lived up to its billing, as this absorbing seven-disc box set constantly reminds us.

To read the full article click here

IMN's Alycia Mack Named Co-Chair of Midwest Arts Conference

IMN

January 26th, 2012 – IMN Update:

IMN is proud to announce that our own Alycia Mack has been named Co-Chair of the 2012 Midwest Arts Conference, the preeminent annual booking and education conference for the Midwest performing arts industry. She is joined by Co-Chair Charlie Robin of Edison Theatre at Washington University of St. Louis. Alycia and Charlie have been deeply involved in the conference in previous years and have already been sharing great ideas and guidance as we plan for this year’s conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

More information about the 2012 Midwest Arts Conference is available here

Master Class: Kurt Elling - A Lifetime in Jazz

IMN

January 26th, 2012 – IMN Update:

From The Kennedy Center

Master Class: Kurt Elling – A lifetime in Jazz

In a master class at the Kennedy Center, Kurt Elling talks about the lifelong development and path of a jazz singer. He also touches on the role of technique in jazz.

To watch the video click here

Playing For Change Spread Love Around the World

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January 26th, 2012 – IMN Update:

From Spinner

Playing for Change Spread Love Around the World, One Heart and Song at a Time
By: Mark Johnson

Mark Johnson is the co-creator of Playing for Change, the organization best known for creating the viral video of street musicians from around the world performing ‘Stand by Me.’ The multimedia project has also expanded into the non-profit world, launching music schools and programs in several developing nations, and the Playing for Change Band will kick off a tour on Feb. 12 in St. Paul, Minn. Johnson was gracious enough to pen the following essay for Spinner, explaining the roots of Playing for Change, its impact and its future.

Music is our greatest tool for healing broken countries, cultures and hearts. The worldwide movement of Playing For Change began seven years ago on the streets of Santa Monica, Calif., with one man and his guitar. The musician’s name was Roger Ridley and he was singing the timeless classic, ‘Stand by Me.’ I asked Roger why, with so much talent, he was singing on the streets. He replied, “Because I’m in the joy business, I come out here and bring joy to the people.”

Shortly after recording and filming Roger, we headed to New Orleans to see what music we could find after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. We met another street legend named Grandpa Elliott and asked him to participate in the PFC project. Grandpa had been performing on the streets for 60 years! He added his soulful voice and harmonica to our ‘Stand by Me’ recording and video. We then headed to New Mexico to record the Zuni Indians and add their drums to ‘Stand by Me’ as well as some other of our songs. They added such a unique dimension to the music and taught us that no matter who we are or where we come from, we are all united through music.

To read more click here

INTERVIEW: A Conversation with Guitar God with Raul Midón

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January 26th, 2012 – IMN Update:

from WBNQ

A Conversation with Guitar God with Raul Midón

Interviewing artists who really inspire you is such a delight. Raul Midon, who is headlining at the BCPA Cafe Thursday evening, was kind enough to chat with me about his marvelous music, his desire to never regain his sight, and how to judge groupies when you are blind.

If you enjoy the music of Jazon Mraz, you will love Raul Midon. He has collaborated and toured with Jason, and I think taught him a thing or two.

“Raul Midón is the kind of artist who makes R&B taste-makers twitch with pleasure. Blind since birth, his music is a remarkable blend of soul, R&B, pop, folk, jazz, and Latin. There’s no doubt he’ll dazzle you with his soaring vocals and rapid-fire, flamenco-inspired guitar. But it’s the simplicity of what he does, the soul virtuosity that recalls his R&B mentors Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, that will leave you spellbound.”

Listen to the interview here