My Writings. My Thoughts.

One Night Only: Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade At Bergen PAC + A Chance To Win Free Stuff!

Posted by D.A. Gutierrez in Jazz Events, News

September 26th, 2010   No Comments »

L to R: Chick Corea at the piano, Christian McBride on bass & Brian Blade at the drum kit

Left to right: Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade will perform at BergenPAC on Tuesday, Sept. 28th in their only NJ appearance.

Listen up, folks – a bonafide supergroup is blowing through town this coming Tuesday, September 28th! Chick Corea along with friends Christian McBride and Brian Blade are set to knock your socks off at BergenPAC in Englewood. Billed as Corea + McBride + Blade, this trio is sure to equal one amazingly good time!

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Pat Metheny’s “Orchestrion” To Mesmerize NJ Audiences With 3 Dates + Free Stuff For Jazzville, NJ Readers!

Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Jazz Events, News

September 25th, 2010   1 Comment »

Pat Metheny standing, surrounded by the mechanized instruments that make up his Orchestrion tour.

Pat Metheny redefines the term "solo concert" with his Orchestrion Tour, blowing through NJ in early October. Here, he stands surrounded by the multitudes of mechanized instruments that share the stage with him.

“Metheny’s Orchestrion is nothing short of spectacular… Endlessly fascinating and visually dazzling.” – Kansas City Star

Wow, the Kansas City Star’s review certainly caught my attention! And since Jazzville NJ’s sophisticated readers are always hot on the pulse of the latest jazz happenings, you probably already know about this tour which kicked off earlier in the year. What you might not have known is that Metheny’s Orchestrion Tour will be gracing NJ audiences with three dates in early October.

For those who don’t know who Metheny is or what an orchestrion does, allow me to explain:

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2011 Newark Songbirds Calendar – Great Gift For A Great Cause

Posted by D.A. Gutierrez in Denise Hamilton, History, Jazz Events, Madame Pat Tandy, News, Pam Purvis, Yvette Glover

September 22nd, 2010   1 Comment »

You’ve heard me say it before – my daily NJ-centric jazz searches typically produce a list of band websites, local shows or other upcoming jazz events. On rare occasion, there’s a jazz club for sale or someone releasing a jazz-infused collection of Michael Jackson tunes. But late last week I had the unique pleasure of discovering a calendar featuring female jazz singers from the Garden State. What a treat! I had to investigate. Continue Reading

Hyatt Morristown Continues A Growing Trend

Posted by D.A. Gutierrez in Jazz Events, News

September 20th, 2010   2 Comments »

Laura Hull, Jazz Vocalist

Jazz vocalist Laura Hull will kick off the inaugural night of "Jazz in the Hyatt," a new concert series being held at the Hyatt Morristown's Qube Lounge.

In what seems to be a growing trend of hotel restaurants offering live jazz performances, the Hyatt Morristown Hotel will now be presenting a live act every Thursday evening from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. The “Jazz in the Hyatt” series kicks off September 23rd with the LauRio Quartet featuring vocalist Laura Hull and master pianist Rio Clemente.

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Vince Giordano & His Nighthawks To Grace Small Screen

Posted by D.A. Gutierrez in Commentary, Jazz Events, News

September 13th, 2010   3 Comments »

Vince Giordano of "Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks" Fame

Band leader Vince Giordano of "Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks" always looks like he just stepped right out of the Roaring 20's.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, folks. Things have been a little hectic with the work situation. You know – the gig that brings in the cash. Anyway, I was doing my daily sniffing around the interwebs for NJ jazz-related topics, and my eyes just about popped out of my head when I started reading what I thought would be a review of this past Saturday’s performance by Vince Giordano & His Nighthawks at the New Jersey Jazz Society’s annual Princeton JazzFeast. But before any mention of the show was made, the author springs quite a surprise on us.

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Chicago Jazz Fest Tickles And Delights

Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews

September 7th, 2010   No Comments »

Rene Marie & the High Maintenance Quartet at the 2010 Chicago Jazz Festival

Rene Marie & her High Maintenance Quartet opened their set with a jazz-laden version of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit"

Most people celebrate Labor Day with one final beach outing or barbeque. But for the past 30 years, Chicago natives have been marking the end of summer with a lakefront music festival. The Chicago Jazz Festival always strives to bring audiences a wide range of jazz styles, and this year was no different. The 32nd  annual event was expanded to three locations over several days and showcased an eclectic bill of artists.
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23 Skidoo! Flappers and Sheiks Take Over Governors Island For The 5th Bi-Annual Jazz Age Lawn Party

Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews

August 31st, 2010   No Comments »

I’ll admit I felt rather self-conscious running through the streets of New York this weekend dressed in a layered cocktail dress that flapped every which way with a change in wind. I was being led by my partner-in-crime D.A. Gutierrez to the ferry leaving for Governors Island, the site for the Jazz Age Lawn Party that took place there August 28th and 29th.

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As Summer Winds Down, Chicago Jazz Festival Will Cap Off Our Labor Day Weekend

Posted by D.A. Gutierrez in Jazz Events, News

August 29th, 2010   No Comments »

The color-drenched Chicago skyline relects on the water at dusk.

Jazzville, NJ will be heading to the Chicago Jazz Festival the weekend of Sept 3-6, 2010.

As August quickly comes to an end, the Jazzville, NJ crew is looking back on all the terrific performances we’ve attended this summer. And despite the fact that we’d love for summer to continue for another three months, the end of the season does bring one piece of good news: the arrival of Labor Day weekend, which for avid jazz fans translates into the annual Chicago Jazz Festival.

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“Lullaby Of Birdland” Lyricist George David Weiss Dead At 89

Posted by D.A. Gutierrez in History, Jazz Events, News

August 24th, 2010   2 Comments »

George David Weiss (L) and Bennie Benjamin (R) in their office, New York, NY, circa April 1947.

George David Weiss (left) and Bennie Benjamin (right) in their office circa April 1947. PHOTO CREDIT: William P. Gottlieb

It’s always amazing how many unknown artists touch my life through their work; artists such as George David Weiss who I only find out about through the obituaries.

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Bickford Audience Boogie Woogies With Bob Milne

Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Bickford Theatre, Morristown, NJ, Jazz Events

August 21st, 2010   No Comments »

bob-milne-pianist

Self-taught ragtime and boogie-woogie pianist Bob Milne travels the world making these difficult piano formats look easy for audiences. PHOTO CREDIT: Dogwood Center For Performing Arts

“Why do I play everything by ear? Because the audience listens by ear,” explained ragtime and boogie-woogie pianist Bob Milne during a Q&A session following his August 16th performance at The BickFord Theatre.

The self-taught musician left an indelible mark on the Jazz SummerFest series that’s been taking place in Morristown these last few weeks. His low-key, unassuming manner allowed the music to take center stage that night. Milne’s storytelling took audience members on a journey through time as he described the cultural and musical background behind each piece he performed. Through the course of the evening, we traveled from New Orleans to Michigan and everywhere in between, getting a feel for how jazz evolved from the late 1800s to the early part of the twentieth century.

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