Archive for September, 2009

Ancient Future – the radio program 9/24/09

Friday, September 25th, 2009

                            CELEBRATING TRANE   opening theme: Randy Weston "Root of the Nile"   Thelonious Monk   Sweet & Lovely  Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane Live at Carnegie Hall  Blue Note   George Russell (w/John Coltrane) Manhattan New York, NY Impulse!   John Coltrane Blues To Elvin The Heavyweight Champion Rhino Atlantic   John Coltrane Central Park [...]

Ain’t But a Few of Us: Black jazz writers tell their story #9

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Our series of conversations with black music writers continues with a contribution from Robin D.G. Kelley, who is currently a Professor of American Studies & Ethnicity at the University of Southern California.  The author of several books Robin’s forthcoming release Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original (Free Press) is eagerly anticipated, set for [...]

Jazz Styles: a definitive jazz text

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

  Prentice Hall has released the 10th edition of Jazz Styles   Jazz Styles has long been one of the most concise, comprehensive and useful jazz text books.  Although the characterization here is of Jazz Styles as a textbook, it should certainly not be taken as some weighty, dry, academic tome to only be encountered [...]

One Man’s take on the Jazz Audience Discussion

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

  The contributor of this piece is jazz activist Ron Washington.  Besides being a stalwart jazz diehard and tireless observer of the scene, he is proprietor of Ron "Slim" Washington Productions, which provides jazz and other music for festivals, clubs and restaurants.   Ron "Slim" Washington (with mic) onstage at one of his jazz productions [...]

The Artist’s responsibility

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

The robust audience at the Arena stage at the Monterey Jazz Festival   Much has been written about the reportedly dwindling jazz audience recently, including several ‘oh jazz, ‘po jazz, woe is jazz…" red flag wavings and various gnashing of teeth.  (See elsewhere in The Independent Ear one writer’s righteous indignation over Terry Teachout waving that [...]

Ancient Future – the radio program 9/17/09

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

Ancient Future is produced & hosted by Willard Jenkins for WPFW 89.3 FM, 50,000 watt Pacifica Radio in Washington, DC.   ARTIST            TUNE                ALBUM TITLE            LABEL   3RD Thursday special: Jazz in South Africa Nancy Jacbs & Her Sisters    Meadowlands    Soweto Blues    Sheer Voice        Scullery Department        Soweto Blues        Sheer Bheki Mseleku    Homeboyz        Timelessness        Verve Bheki [...]

Is your artist website truly useful, or a waste of space?

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

My good friend and colleague Sara Donnelly (who many in the jazz community may remember as the former Sara Warner), has matriculated through the National Endowment for the Arts, worked at the late National Jazz Service Organization,  and later the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, currently runs the JazzNext funding initiative for the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation in Baltimore.  [...]

It’s Coming: the Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

  For 15 years, up until her passing on to ancestry, DC area based vocalist and vocal educator RONNIE WELLS tirelessly produced the successful mid-winter East Coast Jazz Festival at the Doubletree Hotel in Rockville, MD (suburban Washington, DC).  During that time Ronnie built an impressive and loyal audience, many of whom traveled from neighboring [...]

Ancient Future – the radio program 9/10/09

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Ancient Future is produced & hosted by Willard Jenkins for WPFW 89.3 FM, Pacifica Radio in Washington, DC.   ARTIST    TUNE    ALBUM TITLE    LABEL   Roy Haynes   Remember   Fountain of Youth   Dreyfus Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers    A Night in Tunisia    A Night in Tunisia    Blue Note Jose James    Spirits Up Above    The Dreamer    [...]

Ain’t But a Few of Us: Black jazz writers tell their story #8

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

Our correspondent for this edition of the series Ain’t But a Few of Us: Black jazz writers tell their story is Bridget Arnwine.  I first encountered Bridget in 2005 when the Jazz Journalists Association sponsored a one-time fellowship award in the name of the late African American jazz writer Clarence Atkins.  The fellowships were awarded [...]