Geri Allen, an intrepid pianist-composer and dedicated educator whose discography includes nearly 20 albums as a leader/soloist and a wide variety of collaborations, died June 27 in Philadelphia. The cause was cancer, according to various reports. Allen had turned 60 two weeks ago. Allen was still active as a performer as recently as this spring,…Read More
SFJAZZ has announced its artist programming for the 2017-18 season running from Sept. 7 2017 to May 27, 2018, with over 300 concerts scheduled at SFJAZZ Center’s Robert N. Miner Auditorium and Joe Henderson Lab, Herbst Theatre and the Paramount Theatre in Oakland, Calif. Featured performers include Joey Alexander, Kenny Barron, The Bad Plus, Dee Dee…Read More
The third annual Coltrane Day Music Festival, taking place Saturday, July 22 at Heckscher Park in Huntington, N.Y., has announced its artist roster and music workshop schedule. The event is a production of the Coltrane Home in Dix Hills in partnership with the Huntington Arts Council, and celebrates the life and legacy of Alice and John Coltrane.…Read More
Blue Note Entertainment Group in partnership with L21 Participacões has recently announced that it is expanding to South America, with Blue Note Rio set to open in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this August. The Rio location is BNEG’s eighth worldwide, joining jazz clubs in New York, N.Y.; Napa, California; Waikiki, Hawaii; Milan, Italy; Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan and Beijing,…Read More
On June 12, the National Endowment for the Arts announced the recipients of the 2018 NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship—the nation’s highest honor in jazz—during Pat Metheny’s performance with Antonio Sanchez, Linda May Han Oh and Gwilym Simcock at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as part of the DC Jazz Festival. This year’s…Read More
Later this month, guitarist Julian Coryell, in tribute to his late father, the legendary Larry Coryell, will lead a new incarnation of the jazz-rock band the 11th House on a brief West Coast tour. The 11th House’s latest album, Seven Secrets, was released earlier this month on Savoy Jazz. We asked Coryell a few questions…Read More
On June 6, Remy Le Boeuf was awarded the Charlie Parker Jazz Composition prize for “Sibbian,” selected out of nine big-band and large-ensemble works performed during BMI’s annual Summer Showcase concert at The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater in NYC. The award also includes the $3,000 Manny Albam commission for LeBoeuf to write a new work…Read More
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem will host its annual benefit concert on Wednesday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College in New York (East 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues). The concert will feature performances by vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant with pianist Aaron Diehl and pianist Joey Alexander in a solo…Read More
On June 16, Impulse!/Verve will release The Passion of Charlie Parker, an album of iconic Parker songs transformed through the addition of lyrics to create a musical play that narrates Bird’s life. Produced by Larry Klein with lyrics by David Baerwald, the album features actor Jeffrey Wright in the role of Parker as narrator, with vocals provided by…Read More
The 27th Rosslyn Jazz Fest, taking place Saturday, Sept. 9 from 1-7 p.m. at Gateway Park in Arlington, Va., has announced its artist lineup. Scheduled performers include: The Soul Rebels (New Orleans-based brass ensemble blending elements of funk, soul, hip-hop and jazz) Lee Fields & the Expressions (soul and R&B) Xenia Rubinos (singer/songwriter with R&B, Caribbean,…Read More
