Author Archives: The Independent Ear

New honor for Randy Weston

NEA JAZZ MASTER RANDY WESTON TO RECEIVE HIS MAJESTY KING MOHAMMED VI’S HONOR FOR HIS LIFELONG COMMITMENT TO MOROCCO’S GNAOUA MUSIC TRADITION ON MAY 11 The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), New York’s premiere French cultural center, welcomes leading Moroccan … Continue reading

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A jazz upbringing @ the roots of hip hop

Back in the early 80s, when hip hop was in its nascent stage, a young man who grew up in Brooklyn – definitely one of the root beds of the form – named Fred Brathwaite, Jr. was making his moves … Continue reading

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Randy Weston captures prestigious Guggenheim

NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston has been announced as a 2011 recipient of the prestigious Guggenheim fellowship award. This particular award is a purpose-driven honorarium and Randy does indeed have big plans for his Guggenheim. I spoke with Weston recently … Continue reading

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Last Weekend in DC… delights of the garden

Last weekend was a great one to be in DC! Friday evening at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History’s Baird Auditorium, it was Bay Area percussionist John Santos (see his earlier Independent Ear Q&A feature on his recent folkloric exploration … Continue reading

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Tri-C JazzFest 2011 Lineup

TRI-C JAZZFEST JUMP STARTS SPRING WITH A LEGENDARY LINEUP 32 Annual Festival Showcases the Best in Jazz from April 28 – May 8 CLEVELAND (March 31, 2011) – The 32nd annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland jump starts spring with a stellar … Continue reading

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