Atlanta Jazz Festival…2014
On May 23rd – 25th, the Atlanta Jazz Festival took to the stages in Piedmont Park for another fabulous weekend of jazz, that closed out the month-long educational focus on jazz master-classes. The Jazz Education and Workshop Series were free to anyone who wished to participate..
Performing this year were Ahmad Jamal, Airmen of Note, Ali Amr, Bill Frisell’s Guitar in the Space Age, Brian Hogans, Christian Scott, Cyrille Aimée, Darren English, Diego Figueiredo, Edmar Castaneda, Eldar Djangirov Trio, Ester Rada, Freddy Cole, Kemba Cofield, Rialto Jazz for Kids, Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra, Roberta Gambarini, Roy Hargrove, Russell Gunn’s Krunk Jazz Orkestra, Somi, Willie Ziavino and the C.O.T. Band.
The Youth Jazz Band Competition winners to open each day of the festival were North Atlanta Center for the Arts Jazz Band who took 1st Place, Tri-Cities High School Jazz Band in 2nd Place, and Milton High School Jazz Ensemble captured the 3rd Place performance spot.
Multi-instrumentalist and singer Jon Batiste hosted the Late Night Jazz Jam that closed out the day of music. #AJF40
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Ira Sullivan was born May 1, 1931 in Washington, D.C. and was taught trumpet by his father, saxophone by his mother and played both in the 1950s Chicago, Illinois with Charlie Parker, Lester Young, Wardell Gray and Roy Eldridge, garnering a reputation as a fearsome bebop soloist. After playing briefly with Art Blakey in 1956, he mastered alto and baritone saxophone before moving south to Florida and out of the spotlight in the early Sixties.
Sullivan was reluctant to travel which limited his opportunities to play with musicians of the first rank, but he continued to play in the Miami area, often in schools and churches. Hanging out with local younger players Jaco Pastorius and Pat Metheny, led to teaching and to broadening of his own musical roots to include the lessons of John Coltrane’s music and elements of jazz rock.
Adding flute and soprano saxophone to his armoury, Ira moved to New York City and in 1980 formed a quintet with legendary bop trumpeter Red Rodney where they worked on new material and fostered young talent to produce some fresh and stimulating music. He and his longtime friend and collaborator jazz pianist and vibraphonist Stu Katz, co-led a multi-night performance with at Joe Segal’s Jazz Showcase in Chicago.
Ira has performed and/or recorded with Red Rodney, Erin McDougald, Rob Block, Art Blakey, Frank Catalano, Kelly Sill, Charles Heath, Eddie Harris, Roland Kirk, Marc Berner, Lin Halliday, J. R. Monterose, Rita Reys and Billy Taylor and numerous others.
Trumpeter, flugelhornist, flautist, saxophonist, and composer Ira Sullivan has recorded as a leader and taught at the Young Musicians Camp each summer at the University of Miami passed away on September 21, 2020, of metastatic pancreatic cancer in his Miami, Florida home at age 89
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Atlanta Jazz Festival…2013
As Atlanta suffered through one of the worst sports years in the city’s history, the NL East winning Braves lose to the Dodgers, Falcons dreams of the Super Bowl are dashed with a loss to the Jets, the Minnesota Lynx takes the Dream in the WNBA finals and national hopes for the Bulldogs were splattered when they lost to Mizzou. But the shining star of the year was the jazz festival that brought 31 Days of Jazz to neighborhoods venues and greeted passengers at the airport. This was the prelude to the artists that appeared in Piedmont Park, that once again hosted the annual jazz festival from May 25th to the 27th.
Aaron Diehl Quartet, Alexandra Jackson, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, Aruán Ortiz, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dominick Farinacci, Ginou, Gretchen Parlato, Jacob Deaton and the Tribulation Band, Julie Dexter, Jose James, Meshell Ndegeocello: A Dedication to Nina Simone, Miguel Zenón Quartet, Rialto Jazz for Kids, Rialto Youth Jazz Orchestra, Rio Negro, Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Gamak, Tia Fuller, and the Uri Gurvich Quartet.
Benjamin E. Mays High School Jazz Orchestra came in as the 1st Place winner, North Atlanta Center for the Arts Jazz Band took 2nd Place, Stephenson High School Jazz Ensemble was the 3rd Place, Westlake High School Jazz Ensemble was 4th Place, J.C. Young Middle School Jazz Ensemble ranked 5th Place, and Tri-Cities High School Jazz Band had the 6th Place spot in the Youth Jazz Band Competition. The first three opened the main stage performances each day and the final three opened the festivals contemporary stage.
Dionne Farris with the Russell Gunn Quartet held down the Late Night Jazz Jam for the festival goers who didn’t want each day of music to end. #AJF40
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The Jazz Voyager
Deplaning on the other side of the big pond, this Jazz Voyager is filled with the anticipation of sitting in a jazz club aptly named The Crypt, situated under a church. Located at 1 Wale St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa, it has been a labor of love for its creators, among them the dean of St. George’s Cathedral, a jazz enthusiast whose vision for the cathedral as the people’s church led him to reach out to the broader community through the universal language of jazz.
In celebration of International Jazz Day tomorrow I will be privy to a Tribute to Louis Armstrong with his music performed by trumpeter Eddie Backhouse, vocalists Charlette Dickson and Graham Burton, bassist Wesley Rustin, drummer Jack Momple, Willy Haubrich on trombone & trumpet, Willie Van Zylon saxophones and pianist Derk Blaisse.
At the present time patrons must bring their own alcoholic beverages while the restaurant is re-applying its liquor license, which requires a period of prohibition for the sale of liquor. A per bottle service fee will be charged as follows: Wine/R50 ($3.74), Beer & Ciders/R10 ($0.75), Spirits/R150 ($11.22), Brut/R100 ($7.48). (13.37 South African Rand equals $1.00)
Closed Sunday and Monday it’s hours of operation are from 7:00pm to midnight. Cover Charge: R100 per person. For reservations: sms or whatsapp +27 79 683 4658 or email at info@thecryptjazz.co.za. #jazz voyager
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Atlant Jazz Festival…2012
It was May 26th and the 31 Days of Jazz was a success for the city of Atlanta and the neighborhoods and communities that represented. The weekend ran through the 28th the the crowds of jazz fans, enthusiasts and aficionados laid blankets, pitched tents and sat in lawn chairs to enjoy another year in Piedmont Park. Jazz was in the air and the adoring throng waited with anticipation as each act that came to the stage.
The Kickoff Cabaret performers were Jennifer Freeman and Johnny O’Neal with Jason Orr hosting the Late Night Jazz Jam. The 2012 Youth Jazz Band Competition winners opened each day of the festival on two stages and were Benjamin E. Mays Jazz Orchestra taking 1st Place, Woodland High School Jazz Band in 2nd Place, Martin Luther King, Jr. High School Big Band held down 3rd Place, and J.C. Young Middle School Jazz Ensemble was the 4th Place.
Performing over the weekend and following each youth jazz band were Andre Rievers, Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Dwight Andrews, Edy Martinez Jazz Orchestra, Ernest EC3 Coleman, Grace Kelly Quintet, Grégoire Maret, Kathleen Bertrand, Laura Coyle Quintet, Lionel Loueke Trio, Mace Hibbard, Marea Alta, Mausiki Scales & the Common Ground Collective, Melvin Jones, Mushy Widmaier, Nadav Remez / Omer Avital Quintet, Ojeda Penn, Rialto Jazz for Kids, Robert Glasper Experiment, Roy Ayers, Russell Gunn and Elektrik Butterfly, Saunders Sermons, Son Jazzy Orchestra, Tito Puente, Jr. & Orchestra, Tropical Breeze Steel Band, and Yolanda Rabun. #AJF40
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