My Writings. My Thoughts.
Anat Cohen and Jamie Cullum Bring Down The House At The Newport Jazz Festival (Newport 2010 Recap, Part 6 of 6)
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews
August 20th, 2010 No Comments »
Clarinetist Anat Cohen drops jaws with a riveting solo at the Newport Jazz Festival.
With heavy hearts, D.A. and I geared up for the last two sets of the day. We managed to find great close-up seats at Harbor Stage for clarinetist Anat Cohen, whom we had seen earlier with George Wein’s Newport Allstars. Once she launched into her first song, it was obvious why she had been part of that brilliant group of musicians.
What can I say about her playing that could do her technique justice? The girl’s got soul and funk, plain and simple. Each note seemed to take the very last breath from her body. At times she played one-handed in order to wipe the sweat from her brow. Sometimes she scrunched her face and twisted her body, as if the melody was being taken from her very soul. Likewise, it was truly fascinating to watch Cohen wandering the stage in between her solos. Alternating between fits of ecstasy, bouts of anger or simply smiling at someone off stage, all eyes were glued to her to see what she would do next.
Fly & Chick Corea Draw A Lot Of Buzz At The Newport Jazz Festival (Newport 2010 Recap, Part 5 of 6)
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews
August 19th, 2010 No Comments »
Fly members (left to right) Mark Turner, Larry Grenadier and Jeff Ballard perform unique modern jazz for a Newport Jazz Festival audience.
George Wein piqued our interest earlier in the day when he called Fly “the most interesting trio in jazz today.” So naturally we had to check them out and see for ourselves if this was true.
My first impression of their music was that it sounded like the three musicians – drummer Jeff Ballard, bassist Larry Grenadier and tenor saxophonist Mark Turner – were actually doing their own thing in concert. In other words, it felt as if each was performing a solo, only meshed together. Although that doesn’t sound too appealing, it actually worked – the best way I can describe it is bits of jazz with a whole lot of funk thrown in.
George Wein’s Newport Allstars & Legend Ahmad Jamal Grace The Stage At The Newport Jazz Festival (Newport 2010 Recap, Part 4 of 6)
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews
August 18th, 2010 No Comments »
Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein with the cream of the today's jazz crop: (left to right) Howard Alden, Harry Allen, Joe Martin, Anat Cohen, Randy Brecker and Randy Sandke.
Torn between hearing music legend Ahmad Jamal and George Wein’s Newport Allstars, we thought it best to split our time between both. (Each concert was an hour, with the Allstars taking the stage a half hour earlier than Jamal’s set was scheduled to begin.) Theoretically this should have worked, but in reality we ended up missing some great routines from both. Oh well, at least we got a piece of the action!
Quad Stage was buzzing with excitement as we waited for the man who founded the Newport Jazz Festival to perform with some of the most important names in the genre – bassist Joe Martin, drummer Jeff Ballard, saxophonist Harry Allen, clarinetist Anat Cohen, guitarist Howard Alden and trombonists Randy Sandke and Randy Brecker. Their set was a throwback to traditional sounding jazz – the smooth music you yearn for to help escape the daily grind – compared to the more modern stuff that was being showcased that day.
Mark O’Connor Brings A Little Bit Of Country To The Newport Jazz Festival (Newport 2010 Recap, Part 3 of 6)
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Recaps & Reviews
August 17th, 2010 No Comments »
Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing delights audiences at the Newport Jazz Festival. Group: (left to right) Mark O'Connor, Gary Mazzaroppi, Matt Munisteri & Julian Lage
With three acts scheduled to perform at the same time, we decided to stay at Harbor Stage for Mark O’Connor’s Hot Swing. I’m sure The JD Allen Trio and Maria Schneider Orchestra were spectacular in their own right, but boy was I glad we chose to watch this great American violinist, fiddler and composer play alongside some really talented musicians.
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society Throws It Down At The Newport Jazz Festival (Newport 2010 Recap, Part 2 of 6)
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Recaps & Reviews
August 16th, 2010 No Comments »
Conductor Darcy James Argue leads the Secret Society in one of several thrilling compositions performed at the 2010 Newport Jazz Festival.
After managing not to fall overboard during our water taxi ride to Fort Adams State Park, D.A. and I headed straight for Harbor Stage to grab close-up seats for the morning’s most anticipated set – Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society.
We pretended he was waving at us during sound check, even though he was really trying to get the technician’s attention. (But hey, one can dream right?) In any case, the place was buzzing by the time the show began. The Canadian jazz composer (turned NYC native) and the members of his 18 piece steampunk big band humbly took the stage after Darcy was introduced as “the most talked-about artist in the genre today thanks to his debut album Infernal Machines.” With that, he led them into their first song, “Transit.”
Guitar Great Les Paul – Gone But Not Forgotten
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in History, Jazz Events, News
August 13th, 2010 No Comments »
Late guitarist Les Paul forever left his imprint on the music industry with his recording innovations and playing style. PHOTO CREDIT: Ickmusic.com
“This guy invented fire. What Dante was to literature, Les Paul was to modern recording. There was all this primitive stuff before him, and everything after him owes him a huge debt.”
Wow. How do I follow something like that? Luckily this legendary musician gives me more than enough material.
Les Paul was an amazing jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He completely changed the way pop music is produced and helped make the sound of rock and roll possible with the solid-body electric guitar. He also pioneered the use of recording techniques modern artists take for granted such as multitrack recording, delay and echo, among others. His revolutionary guitar skills continue to inspire guitarists to this day and his namesake, the Gibson Les Paul, remains “the world’s most prestigious guitar.”
Couldn’t Make This Year’s Newport Jazz Festival? We Did! (Newport 2010 Recap, Part 1 Of 6)
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews
August 12th, 2010 No Comments »
"Over the water and through the boats to Newport Jazz Fest we go!"
Hello again Jazzville, NJ readers! Sorry for not being in touch these last few days, but D.A. Gutierrez and I are only just coming out of our Rhode Island reverie following our trip to the Newport Jazz Festival this past weekend.
Naturally you might be wondering why we went out of state to hear jazz when Jazzville, NJ is dedicated to promoting the great talent we have right here in the Garden State. There are some ways I can answer that:
a) Jazz knows no boundaries. (Poetic, no?)
b) Some of the artists/ musicians that were featured have ties to the NJ/NY area.
c) Hello? Road trip with a side of jazz!
C’est La Vie! Paris Washboard Charms Bickford Audience
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Bickford Theatre, Morristown, NJ, Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews
August 4th, 2010 No Comments »
The musicians of Paris Washboard (left to right) - Daniel Barda, Alain Marquet, Louis Mazetier & Stephane Seva. PHOTO CREDIT: ParisWashboard.org
Mon Dieu! Quelle nuit!
I knew something special awaited us last night – The Bickford Theatre was buzzing with excitement well before the show was scheduled to begin. For those of us who had been regularly attending the Monday night Jazz SummerFest shows, we were warned for several weeks to buy tickets for Paris Washboard in advance because in all likelihood they would sell out.
Hmmm…overrated or was the band really that good? I’m more than pleased to say it was the latter. Holy cow people! I probably won’t be able to do these talented musicians justice with this review, but I will do my best to explain how I fell in love with them yesterday.
Neville Dickie Tickles The Ivory During Jazz SummerFest
Posted by Maria Miaoulis in Bickford Theatre, Morristown, NJ, Jazz Events, Recaps & Reviews
August 3rd, 2010 2 Comments »
Cover of stride pianist Neville Dickie's 1970 album, "A Salute To Fats Waller." PHOTO CREDIT: Google Images
When my generation thinks of a “piano man,” Billy Joel or Elton John quickly comes to mind. It’s a shame that world renowned jazz pianist Neville Dickie doesn’t register on this popularity radar. But after last night’s performance at The Bickford Theatre, I, along with those in attendance, will consider him one of the greats from now on.
Newport Jazz Fest 2010 – A Survival Guide For Those Left Behind
Posted by D.A. Gutierrez in Commentary, History, Jazz Events, News
August 1st, 2010 No Comments »
The Ben Allison Quartet performing during my fateful 2007 Newport Jazz Festival trip.
In August of 2007, I took a week-long road trip through New England with a friend of mine. The first night’s itinerary called for a stop in my favorite New England town – Newport, Rhode Island.
Since the trip was a spur-of-the-moment event, I was blissfully unaware that we were about to drive into town on one of the most popular summer weekends – that of the Newport Jazz Festival. After driving around to a few bed & breakfasts, we realized finding a room was not going to be easy. But it was only after speaking with the folks at the majestic Hotel Viking and being quoted a rate of $700/night that we found out why we were having such trouble.
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