Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Marc Hoffman was born April 16, 1961 in Salisbury, North Carolina. He attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and received a degree in composition. He continued his education at The Dartington International Summer School of Music in Devon, England then studied film composition at the University of Southern California. He studied with David Ott, Sherwood Shaffer, Leo Arnaud and Neil Hefti.
Up until the early 1990s Hoffman wrote concert music, music for theater, pop, Christian music and film composition. Then he focused his attention on jazz and began writing original compositions, both instrumental and vocal, creating his own arrangements of jazz standards. Establishing his own label, Virillion Music, he recorded Long Way Home in 2003 followed by his sophomore album Christmas Time. In 2010 he released Curioso of all-original jazz.
As an educator and author he teaches and lectures on classical, pop and film music and has published two books. He also is an instructor of piano, composition, and voice at Bold Music in the Charlotte, NC area.
Pianist, composer and vocalist Marc Hoffman continues to write concert music, instrumental and vocal jazz pieces, film scores, as well as performing works solo, or with his trio, quartet or quintet and with four- or five-piece bands in a variety of venues.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Leah Stillwell was born on April 12, 1976 and raised in Western Washington. She was initially influenced by the diverse flavors and talents of the local jazz community. Her inspiration came from the greats and fell in love with jazz immediately once introduced as a teen to the satin melodies of classics like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday.
Her vocal style is a personal amalgamation of the old standards along with other music that has ever appealed to ear, heart and soul. With a fresh new approach to a classic art form, Leah captures the style and charisma of jazz with her sultry voice and laid back expression.
Vocalist Leah Stillwell continues to perform and tour.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Hank Roberts was born on March 24, 1954 in Terre Haute, Indiana. By the early Eighties made a number of recordings for the defunct JMT label, was a featured member of the Bill Frisell Quartet, and was an important voice in many groups of saxophonist Tim Berne.
Roberts also recorded three discs with the Arcado String Trio, an improvisational chamber group featuring Mark Feldman, violin, and Mark Dresser, double bass.
The 1990s saw him leaving Frisell’s group and discontinued touring. He sporadically released records, including with the progressive folk group Ti Ti Chickapea. Leaving his hiatus in 2008, Hank began touring and performing regularly, releasing Green on the Winter & Winter label. Stefan F. Winter’s subsequent label to JMT. Three years later they released his Everything Is Alive, as well as re-releasing his entire JMT catalogue.
Cellist and vocalist Hank Roberts, who emerged with the downtown New York City jazz scene of the 1980s, continues to be associated with its post-modern tendencies.
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The Jazz Voyager
Jumping on a quick flight from LaGuardia to BWI to be in the audience at what has become a venerated jazz spot in Baltimore, Maryland, the Keystone Korner. Its founder, Todd Barkin, created the iconic location in San Francisco next to the North Beach police station, thus the origin of its name as a play on words on Mack Sennett’s slapstick “Keystone Kops” films. Moving east, he made a prudent decision to bring that same atmosphere to serve great music to the Baltimore, Washington and northern Virginia area.
The purpose for this travel itinerary is to see one of my favorite pianists and to be part of his 50th birthday celebration with 50 SHADES OF O. The Orrin Evans Trio with special guest vocalist Lisa Fischer will take us on an adventurous evening of music. Evans and his 2x Grammy-nominated Captain Black Big Band released and will be performing music from their new studio album, Walk A Mile In My Shoe!
Orrin Evans Tickets: $45.00 ~ $55.00 + fee | Streaming: 6:00pm Only ~ $15.00 + fee
Keystone Korner Baltimore address is 1350 Lancaster Street, 21231. For more information visit keystonekornerbaltimore.com.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Layla Angulo was born March 12, 1976 to a Greek mother and an Irish-American father and started playing the piano at age 6. However, it was her grandfather’s upright bass playing that inspired her to learn the saxophone at age 10. She began playing in jazz clubs during high school. After graduation, she played in various funk, jazz, and pop and groups and performed as the horn section leader of various salsa bands around the Northwest.
Developing the idea to write her own music. Soon after Layla released her debut album, Live at The Triple Door, was recorded at the noted Seattle theater in 2005. The album’s first single Que Te Vaya Bien was Top 10 for three months. Mientras, her sophomore album, was recorded in New York with Arturo O’Farrill, Oscar Estagnaro, Tony Escapa, and Dario Escanazi and released in 2008.
Moving to New York City in 2009, she subsequently spent a year on tour with reggaeton artist Don Omar. Her third album TriAngulo gave up a single, No Se Como Olvidarte that rose to #16 on the Billboard Tropical Charts. Another song from TriAngulo, La Pelicula, reached #1 in the National Latin Record Pool.
On March 24, 2015, the International Songwriting Competition announced its 2014 Finalists, including Layla’s song Dame Todo.
Alto saxophonist, composer, singer, band director, and recording artist known professionally by the mononym Layla, continues to specialize in Latin music.
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