The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The Jazz Voyager is still taking the variants very seriously and wearing his mask and social distancing as conditions present themselves. There is no evidence that stipulates that this is over and recommendations are still in place to wear your mask when in indoor public spaces.

Standing On The Rooftop is the sixth studio album by jazz vocalist Madeleine Peyroux. It was produced by Craig Street and released on June 14, 2011 on the Decca/Universal record label. All songs except 1, 6, 8, & 11 were written by Madeleine Peyroux 2 to 5, 7, 9, 10, 12 to 15.

The fifteen songs were recorded in February 2011 at several studios – Sear Sound in New York City on February 14~17 and Motherbrain Studio in Brooklyn, NY on February 26th, with additional recording at Downtown Music Studios and Wild Arctic in NYC, Vel Studios~ Brooklyn, Phantom Vox~Los Angeles, The Odd Bedroom, Basement & Garage and Sterling Sound. The mixing was done by Kevin Killen (tracks: 5 to 8), Matthew Cullen (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 9 to 12), and Tony Maserati (tracks: 2, 13 to 15)

This was the first album of Peyroux with Decca Records and her first with producer Craig Street, interrupting her longtime collaboration with Larry Klein. Standing on the Rooftop featured originals, along with three covers, Martha My Dear, I Threw It All Away and Love In Vain, plus Marc Ribot’s Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love. It also paired Peyroux with new songwriting partners.

Track List | 56:36
  1. Martha My Dear (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) ~ 2:32
  2. The Kind You Can’t Afford (Peyroux, Bill Wyman) ~ 3:59
  3. Leaving Home Again (Peyroux, Wyman) ~ 3:35
  4. The Things I’ve Seen Today (Peyroux, Jenny Scheinman) ~ 3:44
  5. Fickle Dove (Peyroux, Scheinman) ~ 3:28
  6. Lay Your Sleeping Head, My Love (music by Marc Ribot, lyrics by W. H. Auden) ~ 3:23
  7. Standing on the Rooftop (David Batteau, Peyroux) ~ 5:46
  8. I Threw It All Away (Bob Dylan) ~ 3:15
  9. The Party Oughta Be Comin’ Soon (Peyroux) ~ 5:00
  10. Superhero (Jonatha Brooke, Peyroux) ~ 3:21
  11. Love In Vain (Robert Johnson) ~ 3:40
  12. Don’t Pick a Fight with a Poet (Peyroux, Andy Scott Rosen) ~ 4:28
  13. Meet Me in Rio (Peyroux) ~ 3:51
  14. Ophelia (Batteau, Peyroux) ~ 5:12
  15. The Way of All Things (Peyroux) ~ 4:02
Personnel
  • Madeleine Peyroux ~ vocals
  • John Kirby ~ keyboards
  • Glen Patscha – keyboards
  • Patrick Warren ~ keyboards
  • Allen Toussaint ~ piano
  • Jenny Scheinman ~ violin
  • Christopher Bruce ~ guitar
  • Marc Ribot ~ guitar
  • Meshell Ndegeocello ~ bass guitar
  • Charley Drayton ~ drums
  • Mauro Refosco ~ percussion
Credits
  • Creative Director ~ Pat Barry (3)
  • Design Concept [Package Coordination] ~ Rafael Hernandez (2)
  • Design [Graphic] ~ Rebecca Meek
  • Engineer ~ Matthew Cullen
  • Photography By [Cityscape Panorama] ~ Keith Sirchio
  • Photography By [Portrait] ~ Mary Ellen Mark

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

The pandemic has eased up related to the massive numbers of contractions, hospitalizations, deaths experienced over the past two years. If you’ve been listening and watching you know it is not over. Follow your conscience.

This week I bring you the 1961 album Ease It recorded by the Rocky Boyd Quintet which features trumpeter Kenny Dorham. It is the only known recording by the saxophonist, and was first released by Jazztime Records. It was also released thirteen years later by Muse Records in 1974 as Ease It!.

Once again in 1989 Black Lion released a CD edition retitled West 42nd Street. It was credited to Kenny Dorham and comprised all the takes from the session. Only tracks 1 & 6 have a single take.

Fred Norsworthy was the producer and Bill Stodard the engineer on the recording session that took place on March 13, 1961 at Bell Sound Studios in New York City. The cover photography was taken by Gary Gladstone, the liner notes were written by Don Riches.

Track List | 39:42

  1. Avars (Boyd) ~ 7:42
  2. Stella by Starlight (Young, Washington) ~ 5:05
  3. Why Not? (LaRoca) ~ 7:26
  4. Ease It (Chambers) ~ 10:35
  5. Samba De Orfeu (Luiz Bonfá) ~ 4:31
  6. West 42nd Street (Hardin) ~ 4:23
Personnel
  • Kenny Dorham – trumpet
  • Rocky Boyd – tenor sax
  • Walter Bishop Jr. – piano
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Pete LaRoca – drums

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

This Jazz Voyager is still being very cautious about masking indoors and social distancing as the new B variants are cropping up around the world and are now hitting the shores of America. In light of these occurrences, today we are going to listen to the 1955 Ethel Ennis album recorded titled Lullabies For Losers that was released the same year on the Jubilee record label.

The cover was designed by Si Leichman, the liner notes were written by Mort Goode, and the photography by Charles Varon.

Track List | 37:32

  1. Love For Sale (Cole Porter) ~ 3:19
  2. Dreamer~Dreamer (Irving Caesar, Oskar Strauss) ~ 4:30
  3. Blue Prelude (Gordon Jenkins, Joe Bishop) ~ 3:00
  4. Off Shore (Leo Diamond, Michael H. Goldsen) ~ 3:55
  5. Casually (Alan McCarthy, Richard Freitas) ~ 3:57
  6. Hey Jacques (Eden Ahnez, Wayne Shanklin) ~ 3:03
  7. Lullaby For Losers (Robert Stringer) ~ 3:00
  8. Say It Ain’t So, Joe (Al Frisch, Kathleen G. Twomey, Fred Wise) ~ 2:58
  9. You Better Go Now (Bickley Reichner / Robert Graham) ~ 3:29
  10. Blue Willow (Vic Harrington) ~ 3:23
  11. Bon Voyage (DeSylva-Brown-Henderson) ~ 4:18
The Players
  • Ethel Ennis ~ Vocal
  • Hank Jones ~ Piano
  • Eddie Biggs ~ Guitar
  • Abie Baker ~ Double Bass
  • Kenny Clarke ~ Drums

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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Atlanta Jazz Festival…2017

Tradition takes time and through that time the dream weathers the tests that will one day allow it to stand alone. Tradition is not a task for the faint-hearted but is best relegated to the visionaries who recognize its value and grasp the baton as it is passed. 

In Atlanta, the gateway city to the South, the bastion of tradition has long been the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the largest free jazz festival in the country. It is truly the hallmark of legacy heralding the vision of Mayor Maynard Jackson that began in 1974. It took four years of planning before the then Bureau of Cultural Affairs would launch the inaugural festival in 1978. Not without its obstacles, its success established the foundation upon which forty consecutive festivals have presented this music to admiring and adoring fans.

For 40 years, 5 mayors, Maynard Jackson, Andrew Young, Bill Campbell, Shirley Franklin and Kasim Reed, 4 decades of City Council men and women and 7 directors of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs, Robert Lomax, Shirley Franklin, Tom Cullen, Shirley Cooks, Harriet Sanford, Barbara Bowser and Camille Russell Love have kept jazz a vibrant invitation and welcome to the city each year. They have given opportunity to more than a 1000 jazz musicians and vocalists to grace the stages of the Atlanta Jazz Festival before millions of spectators.

Without their staunch support and hard work, the ever-evolving festival would not have been able to give visibility to venues around the city during the 31 Days of Jazz that precedes each Memorial Day weekend festivities. Nor would they have been able to have more than a 100 middle and high school bands compete each spring in the Youth Jazz Band Competition to win a coveted performance spot on the main stage to open each day of the festival.

Over the years without the support over the decades with staff like Michael Lomax, Malcolm Johnson, Joe Jennings, Kole Eaton, Ebon Dooley, Mitchell Feldman, Rob Gibson and John Armwood, festival managers Alonzo Craig and Melissa Laurenceau, project supervisor Nnena Nchege who ran logistics & 31 Days or Valarie Benning Barney responsible for sponsorship & marketing, there wouldn’t be current project coordinator Herman Wilson.

7 photographers have been primarily responsible for documenting festival’s growth: Jim Alexander, Sheila Pree Bright, Michael Reese, Sue Ross, Eric Waters, Julie Yarbrough and Ernest Gregory. With the onset of the internet hundreds more amateur and professional photographers have shared their photos and videos across multiple platforms.

The media has played an important part of getting the message to the people and we recognize radio sponsors WVEE 103FM, WCLK 91.9FM, 94Q Jazz Flavours, WRFG 89.3FM, WJZF, WALR/Kiss 104.1, WABE-PBA, WJZZ 107.5, 790 The Zone, as well as radio personalities Ernest Gregory and perennial emcee, John Armwood, Bobby Jackson, Steve Bowser, Phil Clore, Carl Anthony, H. Johnson, Riva Blue, and Jamal Ahmad among numerous others, who have lent their voice and time volunteering. Print media sponsors have been Creative Loafing, Jazziz, Jazz Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jezebel Magazine, Atlanta Magazine, Rolling Out, Abyss Jazz Magazine, Upscale Magazine, Atlanta Tribune The Magazine, Southwest Atlanta Magazine, and television sponsors MediaOne, BET on Jazz, WSB TV, Mundo Hispanico, and Comcast.

Last but never the least, we must never forget to give thanks to the thousands of volunteers, aptly dubbed Jazzteers by Nnena Nchege in 2005, who over forty years have unselfishly given their time to insure the success of the festival. Without their help the behind the scenes production activities that make operations run smoothly would not happen. They have are a vital component to each year’s event.

The Atlanta Jazz Festival is the acknowledged largest continuous free jazz event in North America and contributes greatly to the success of the city’s tourism, hospitality and community. Standing alongside all of the men and women who have been proud to have supported this tradition and are currently a part of this annual endeavor, it has been a privilege and an honor to be numbered among this cast.

This 40th year anniversary celebration lineup includes performers who graced the stage the very first year, those who have performed over the years and those who are first time initiates. They are the Pedrito Martinez Group, the Robert Glasper Experiment, the Allan Harris Band, Regina Carter: Simply Ella, Randy Weston’s African Rhythms Quintet, Reńe Marie and Experiment in Truth, Charles Lloyd Sky Trio, Moonchild, Nik West, Nicholas Payton Afro-Caribbean Mixtape, Macy Gray, Little Tybee, Harriet Tubman: The Band, Deva Mahal, Marquis Hill Blacktet, the Miles Davis Electric Band Tribute All Star Jam with Lil’ John Roberts feat. Russell Gunn and Miles Davis band member Mino Cinelu, Dwight Andrews, Joe Jennings & Howard Nicholson’s Life Force, Celebrating Sarah: Kathleen Bertrand & Friends Honor Sarah Vaughan, the Joe Gransden Big Band with Alexandra Jackson, the Ojeda Penn Experience with Jean Carne, Freddy Cole, Frank Houston, Kemba Cofield, Darren English, Cleveland P. Jones, Julie Dexter and Jacob Deaton Duo featuring Rasheeda Ali, Mamaniji Azanyah & Mastery, Russell Gunn & African Drums meets Kebbi Williams’ Wolf Pack and Mausiki Scales & Common Ground featuring Giwayen Mata.

Sponsors & Partners of the 2017 Atlanta Jazz Festival are Wind Creek Casino & Hotel Wetumpka, Resurgens Atlanta, Bank of America, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, City of Atlanta, Publix Supermarket Charities, Marta, Fontis Mountain Spring Water, Lyft, Loews Atlanta Hotel, and Sprouts Farmers Market.

The Official Print partner is Creative Loafing and the Official Radio Partner is WCLK 91.9FM #AJF40


NJ-TWITTER

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Atlanta Jazz Festival…2016

Last year signaled the mounting of the 39th time that Office of Cultural Affairs, under the current Director Camille Russell Love leadership, that she and her staff brought local favorites, emerging musicians and national performers to Piedmont Park for the 2016 jazz festival weekend that ran from May 27th – 29th.

Thousands turned out to grill, eat and sit on blankets, lawn chairs and under tents before three stages, Legends, International and Local to enjoy as eyewitnesses the talents of Alex Lattimore, Anonymous DaBand, Assaf Kehati, Band Room Nation, Camila Meza, Chandra Currelley, Chargaux, Daby Touré, Eliane Elias, Enoch, Etienne Charles, Eugenie Jones, Gregory Porter, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Jamison Ross, Joe Alterman, JOI, King Ace Beats, KP the Great, Mabu’s Ark Band, Mette Henriette, Navy Bound Southeast V.I.P. Protocol Combo, Next Collective, Rialto Jazz for Kids, Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra, Tatran, The Benny Golson Quartet, The Headhunters, Theo Croker,  and Tomeka Reid

Drummer Lil John Roberts and trumpeter Russell Gunn Quartet hosted respective nights of the Late Night Jazz Jam.

Sponsors for this year’s festival were Bank of America, Publix, PNC Bank, Loews Atlanta Hotel, MARTA, Cantoni, The Coca-Cola Company and the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. #AJF40


NJ-TWITTER

  #preserving genius

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