Grammy Watch: Statement from Arturo O’Farrill

This is not about a worthless little statue. It’s about solidarity. It’s about standing up to the Neil Portnows of the world. The backroom bullies who think that money is more important than people. They think that no ones going to notice that they line their pockets with cash by selling the American people down the river. It’s about saying to corporate America, CBS, Sony, Warner, and for that matter Chase, Goldman Sachs and the like, that all the thievery [...]

Jane Bunnett & Hilario Durán: Cuban Rhapsody

When two of the most acclaimed modern explorers of Cuban music combine their prodigious talents on the music they love, musical magic happens. That is demonstrated in truly enchanting fashion on Rhapsody Cubana, the debut duet recording by Jane Bunnett and Hilario Duran. They are both virtuoso players, arrangers, composers, and bandleaders in their own right, and they have the Juno Awards (and Grammy nominations) to prove it. Their shared musical [...]

NMC of US: 2011 American Eagle Awards

The National Music Council of the United States will be honoring Paquito D’Rivera, Nile Rodgers, and Peter Yarrow with its coveted American Eagle Award for lifetime contribution to the musical culture of our nation. The noontime luncheon ceremony will take place on June 8th at New York City’s Edison Ballroom. The public is invited. For ticket information, contact David Sanders at sandersd@montclair.edu or visit MusicCouncil.org for details [...]

Updates from Grammy Watch – May 26, 2011

A brief update on the NARAS / GRAMMY situation regarding the elimination of 31 genres for GRAMMY consideration.

Concord Picante releases Eliane Elias – Light My Fire

Since the mid-1980s, pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias (pronounced eh-lee-AH-neh eh-LEE-ahs) has grafted various elements of jazz, pop, soul and other styles to her deep Brazilian roots to create a hybrid groove that exists comfortably on any hemisphere. Borrowing from an array of sources and singing in a variety of languages, Elias consistently forges a sound that appeals to listeners of every geographic locale and cultural persuasion [...]

Paquito D’Rivera – Panamericana Suite (MCG Jazz – 2010)

The importance of Paquito D’Rivera’s Panamericana Suite cannot be diminished although it was released almost six months ago. D’Rivera premiered this Suite when he and his Orchestra made a stellar appearance playing a dramatic version of this chart in Fernando Trueba’s seminal film, Calle 54. However on this live performance, released in November 2010, D’Rivera and his Panamericana Orchestra embellish the suite with gorgeous other aspects of [...]

JJA Announces Musical Lineup For Awards

May 3, New York City. Pianist Randy Weston headlines the artist lineup and tickets are now on sale at www.JJAJazzAwards.org for the 15th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards gala, to be held on Saturday, June 11, from 1 pm to 5 pm EDT at City Winery, 155 Varick St. at Vandam in New York City [...]

Bobby Matos & His Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble – Beautiful As The Moon

The master timbalero, Bobby Matos not only carries on the great tradition of the timbales that he inherited from El Rey, Tito Puente, but finding inspiration in holistic healing, he has also developed deep roots in a Zen-like alchemy that melds mambo and rumba, with the jazz idiom. And then there is that delightful surprise that Matos springs—a magical touch of Jewish klezmer, rooted in an authentic Yiddish tradition. The results are always marvellous [...]

Phil Hawkins – Sugarcane Suite (P. Note Music – 2010)

The remarkable aspect of Phil Hawkins’ Sugarcane Suite is the fact that it connects seemingly disparate elements into a cohesive whole with cheerful alacrity. The resulting suite conjures a vivid expedition, a kind of rhythmic voyage that hugs the Caribbean coast, plunging several times into Brazilian waters. How Hawkins, a superb steel pans player, joins the dots in with his high-wire act is one of those mysteries that can only exist when [...]

ISC Announces 2010 Jazz Winners

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC), the world’s preeminent global songwriting event, is pleased to announce its 2010 winners. Out of over 15,000 entries, Jazz artists David Laborier, Omar Sosa, and Thomas Winther Andersen (Winther-Storm) garnered the First, Second, and Third Place wins in the Jazz category. The Jazz category is one of the most highly anticipated genres in ISC and this year’s list of judges included such luminaries as McCoy Tyner and [...]