Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Judy Lewis was born on February 19, 1958 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and from age seven she studied classical piano, subsequently winning competitions throughout the Midwest. Moving to New York City she continued with her studies at Columbia University, but gradually moved from music to study religion. At 20 she moved to Israel where she continued to perform while searching for spiritual meaning in her life.
Her success as a performer was overshadowed by her desire to concentrate on spiritual matters. In 1991 Lewis began playing the piano again and by 1995 she returned to a music career, in addition to teaching to support her family. Dissatisfied with the classical form, by the mid-90s she turned to jazz. The catalyst came in Los Angeles, California when she attended her first jazz concert and was soon practicing extensively the work of jazz pianists such as Chick Corea, Bill Evans, Tommy Flanagan, Red Garland and Keith Jarrett.
She began composing her own music, formed a group, the Back Alley Jazz Quintet, and made her jazz debut in 1996. By the following year, Judy had brought the group down to a trio. Her acclaim grew in Israel, then expanded to tours of Europe and the USA. In 2002 she released a solo set, Waiting On A New Day, and then in 2003 she formed the fusion band, Phoenix Over Manhattan which would evolve into an acoustic band, No Expectations that was greeted warmly by critics.
Energetic, enthusiastic and determined, her concept of jazz had a vibrancy that was welcomed by many for its contrast to the smooth jazz outpourings of the early century. Pianist Judy Lewis, who operates a recording company, Visionary Insomniac Records, continues to perform, compose and record.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Kathleen Gorman was born on February 18, 1967 and grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia in a musical family where creative expression was encouraged. Piano lessons started at age six, and years of classical studies gave her a solid musical foundation. She began performing and writing in her teens and after composing a theme for CTV for the Winter Olympics, she moved to Montreal, Canada to pursue jazz piano, arranging and composition studies. Completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Concordia University, Montreal she followed this by McGill for advanced study in composition and orchestration.
She continuously worked as a pianist/vocalist for several years in Montreal clubs before settling in Toronto, Canada where she began performing weekly, and set up a home studio, for recording projects and teaching. She is a Toronto based pianist/vocalist, as well as a composer/arranger and jazz educator, teaching jazz piano, theory and composition. She has trained with Jan Jarczyk, Jon Ballantyne, Hilario Duran, Sheila Jordan, Barry Harris, Kurt Elling, and Jeri Brown.
Pianist, vocalist and bandleader Kathleen Gorman continues to record, arrange, compose and educate, performing often in Toronto.
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SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE
Founded by SFJAZZ in 2004, the SFJAZZ Collective is an all-star ensemble and composer’s workshop that represents what’s happening now in jazz, celebrating its 20th Anniversary in 2024.
Since the beginning, the Collective’s mission has been to perform newly commissioned pieces by each member and fresh arrangements of works by modern masters. Through this pioneering approach, simultaneously honoring music’s greatest figures while championing jazz’s up-to-the-minute directions, the SFJAZZ Collective embodies SFJAZZ’s commitment to jazz as a living, ever-relevant art form.
To celebrate two decades as a working ensemble, the supergroup will perform a landmark Anniversary program that both honors the history of the group and looks ahead to its future. In tribute to the artists who have been honored by the Collective over its 20-year history, as well as the world-class composers who have been a part of the ensemble, the band will revisit past original compositions and arrangements from its innovative repertoire, updated and re-imagined by this singular lineup of jazz masters. Additionally, the band will emphasize the spirit of its name by collectively composing a new suite dedicated to and inspired by the history of the ensemble.
Chris Potter ~ music director & saxophone
David Sánchez ~ saxophone
Mike Rodriguez ~ trumpet
Warren Wolf ~ vibraphone
Edward Simon ~ piano
Matt Brewer ~ bass
Kendrick Scott ~ drum
Streaming: $15.00 + fees
Saturday Showtimes:
Sunday Showtimes:
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
John Francis Coates Jr. was born February 17, 1938 in Trenton, New Jersey to a full-time performing musician and bandleader father, and his mother a dancer and actress. He attended Ewing High School and began his formal study in New York City at age eight with Urana Clarke at the Mannes College of Music on full scholarship. His earliest influences were credited to listening to Symphony Sid on his AM radio.
From age 11 to 14 he played clarinet with his father at the Trenton YMCA dance hall night, where he learned to improvise. His father began teaching him jazz piano at twelve and influenced by Jack Weig he joined the Trenton musicians union the same year. By 14 he was playing gigs two nights a week, as well as weekends and at sixteen he was gigging six nights a week during the summer at the Deer Head Inn where Savoy Records discovered him.
He recorded his debut Savoy album, Portrait, with bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Kenny Clarke during his senior year of high school. He performed on the Steve Allen, Mike Douglas, and Merv Griffin tv shows in support of that album. From 1956 to 1958 he toured with Charlie Ventura, then while in college John played with Barry Miles, Eddie Gomez, Ron Carter, Woody Shaw, Harry Leahey, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Kai Winding, Urbie Green, and Pepper Adams.
Attending Rutgers University he graduated with a degree in romance languages in 1962. After graduating Coates returned to Deer Head where he again played six nights a week, four alone and two as bandleader. He took a position with Shawnee Press as an arranger and editor. He began performing at Henderson’s Club 50, where he had a six night per week gig and played with Coleman Hawkins, Clark Terry, Doc Severinsen, Phil Woods, Marvin Stamm and Bill Watrous among others.
Moving to Mountain Lake, New Jersey in 1966 and began working as an editor at Shawnee Press, arranged on his own time on a royalty basis, and playing at the Deer Head year round where he became an early inspiration for Keith Jarrett, who would listen and sit in occasionally. His arrangement for Amazing Grace has sold more than 750,000 copies and remains one of the publishing company’s best sellers.
John recorded nine albums for the record label Omnisound, toured briefly with bassist Paul Langosch, then began recording for Pacific St Records, including two albums with Phil Woods. In the 1990s, he became homeless and attempted suicide, then moved to Coney Island and began playing again around the year 2000.
Pianist, composer and arranger John C. Coates Jr., who occasionally played vibraphone and clarinet, died on November 22, 2017.
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The Jazz Voyager
Leaving the land of longhorns, cowboy boots and chili for one of the most expensive cities to live in the Midwest nicknamed Tree Town. Within the boundaries of this city of Ann Arbor is where this Jazz Voyager is heading downtown to catch a new group at The Blue Llama. Located at 314 South Main Street, Michigan 48104, the club operates nightly from Wednesday to Saturday.
It will be an interesting evening as I have never heard The Eastside Jazz Collective. is a 5-piece group with vocals by Adrienne Pisoni that is based in Southeast Michigan. I’ve heard they play classic jazz and swing featuring songs made popular by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Billie Holiday along with some contemporary tunes. I am anticipating an enjoyable evening.
Like the music I find the cuisine tempting and will be dining on crispy deviled eggs, black-eyed pea hummus, sorbet and beignets. For those who are requiring more information go to https://notoriousjazz.com/event/the-eastside-jazz-collective.
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