Apr 29, 2015
In November 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially designated April 30 as International Jazz Day in order to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe. International Jazz Day is chaired and led by Irina Bokova, UNESCO...
Dec 5, 2014
"Throughout (Joan) Merrill's books, almost all of the characters, major and minor, are jazz people. There is on-going commentary on today's jazz scene and how it differs from yesterday. No preaching, just strong and well-argued opinions during realistic conversations between characters." -- Bruce Crowther, jazz writer...
Sep 10, 2014
Gerald Wilson, conductor, bandleader, composer, educator, and multi-instrumentalist, passed away in his Los Angeles home on Monday, September 8, 2014 after being diagnosed with pneumonia two weeks earlier. He was 96-years-old. Wilson is survived by his wife Josefina; son Anthony; two daughters, Jeri and Nancy Jo; and...
Jun 4, 2014
Before Marc Ribot made a name for himself as a pioneering force in NYC's downtown music scene and as guitarist for luminaries like Tom Waits, Wilson Pickett and The Lounge Lizards, he began his guitar studies as a teenager with close family friend, the father Haitian classical guitar, Frantz Casséus.
After Haiti was...
Apr 1, 2013
April is Jazz Appreciation Month, leading up to UNESCO's International Jazz Day, held this year in Istanbul, Turkey. How can you spread the good word about the joys of jazzs? The Smithsonian has 112 Ways to Celebrate Jazz on its website, and whether you are a musician, educator, record collector, museum, student or...