The Fillmore Jazz Festival is this weekend from 10am to 6pm today and tomorrow on 3 stages on Fillmore Street.

"Blending art and soul in one of the country’s most unique neighborhoods, the Fillmore Jazz Festival is the largest free Jazz festival on the West Coast, drawing over 90,000 visitors over the Independence Day weekend. From sunup to sundown, visitors can groove to the sounds of live music from multiple stages, browse the offerings of over 8 blocks of fine art and crafts and enjoy gourmet food and beverages. Asian to Cajun, paintings to pottery, old favorites and new directions, the Fillmore Jazz Festival is not to be missed."

I took this photo of The Dynamic Faye Carol and Denise Perrier at the 2007 Fillmore Jazz Festival after Faye performed with the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra.

Photo Credit: James Knox

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April 1, 2008; Monterey, CA; The Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by Verizon, launches its second half-century of legendary live jazz presentation, reflecting the artistic excellence that has made MJF the longest running jazz festival in the world. The world-renowned event takes place September 19-21, 2008 on the familiar oak-studded and beautiful grounds of the Monterey Fairgrounds, the location of the Festival since its inception in 1958.

Featuring some of the living legends in the music world as well as the future superstars of jazz, MJF/51 raises the bar set in 2007, and will be one of the most anticipated live jazz events of the year.

Tickets are on sale now by phone at (925) 275-9255 and on the Monterey Jazz Festival’s website, www.montereyjazzfestival.org. Full Weekend Arena Packages from $220; Daily Grounds Tickets from $35.

The Arena/Jimmy Lyons Stage will be one of the hottest sites of the Festival, with a lineup that promises the musical adventure of a lifetime with multiple award winning artists, including vocalists Cassandra Wilson, Jamie Cullum, Ledisi, Kurt Elling, and Nancy Wilson; saxophonists Wayne Shorter, Joshua Redman, and Maceo Parker, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, Christian McBride’s new Quintet, Cuban flautist Orlando "Maraca" Valle, guitarist Derek Trucks and the twelve-time Grammy-winning pianist, Herbie Hancock.

2008 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE, SHOWCASE ARTIST & COMMISSION ARTIST

MJF/51 Artist-In-Residence, bassist Christian McBride, will be in fine company with several of his musical projects, and will be performing through out the weekend with his new acoustic Quintet, with the electrified Quartet, and with MJF's spotlight on the future of jazz, the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra. MJF/51 Showcase Artist, drummer Matt Wilson will be at large on the grounds, performing with his own Arts and Crafts, with the collective-improvisation group, Trio M, and in a duo with guitarist-extraordinaire Bill Frisell. MJF/51 Commission Artist Maria Schneider will unveil her large-scale orchestra piece, her second commissioned work for the Festival since 1995.

The long-time tradition of Arena artists performing on the grounds is also unusually rich for MJF/51. The Joshua Redman Trio, Maceo Parker, Christian McBride, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Tom Scott, Terence Blanchard, Orlando "Maraca" Valle, Ledisi, Maria Schneider Orchestra and Kurt Elling will all put in dual performances on the Grounds during the MJF/51 weekend.

Two special tributes will be featured during the weekend, both on the Arena Stage and on the Grounds. On Saturday night, A Tribute to Cannonball Adderley will feature a modern take on the music of the influential and celebrated saxophonist with renowned vocalist Nancy Wilson, trumpeter Terence Blanchard (2007 MJF Artist-In-Residence and Grammy Winner) and legendary saxophonist Tom Scott. Sunday will spotlight John Coltrane’s beloved collaborations with vocalist Johnny Hartman, with Kurt Elling’s Dedicated to You. This special band features Ernie Watts, and the ETHEL String Quartet, backed by the Laurence Hobgood Trio.

Continue reading "51st Annual Monterey Jazz Festival Lineup Announced" »

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From www.ernestineanderson.com

ERNESTINE NEEDS YOUR HELP

Dear Friends,

We hear stories daily of people who are being forced to foreclose on their homes and it is truly heartbreaking. Recently, celebrities such as Ed McMahon and Evander Holyfield are in foreclosure. Unfortunately, that is a reality for many in this troubled economy and now, it has affected our own living legend, the incomparable Ernestine Anderson who is a four-time Grammy Nominee. We are reaching out and seeking support to help Ms. Anderson save her home, where her family has lived since 1946, in Seattle's Central District. Any financial contribution to avoid this misfortune will gladly be accepted. An account has been set-up for her at Bank of America in Washington State under the name of "The Ernestine Anderson Fund". You can go to any Bank of America to make a donation to this fund. People who live outside of Washington State may also make a donation at Bank of America. Please let them know to reference
Bank of America - Washington State for “The Ernestine Anderson Fund”.

Checks can also be mailed to:
The Bank of America
"The Ernestine Anderson Fund"
1201 East Madison,
Seattle, WA. 98104

Ms. Anderson has exhausted all resources and she has until June 30th to raise at least $45,000 or her family home will be foreclosed. Any additional money raised will be used to assist Ms. Anderson to offset the existing mortgage of this property which will give her peace of mind in the future. Without our financial support, her home is scheduled to be auctioned off on July 11th. We appeal to everyone who has been touched by Ms. Anderson's artistry, to join us in this effort. As 2008 marks Ms. Anderson's 80th birthday - a true milestone, we hope that as a community we can rally and give back for all the gifts she has bestowed on so many.

Please feel free to forward this email to anyone and everyone who is willing to help. We need everyone’s support now as the clock is ticking.

With much gratitude and sincere appreciation,

Nancy McKernon
Publicist

Photo Credit: www.ernestineanderson.com

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I was recently filling out a survey recently and noticed upon recent birthday, 2 days ago, I have now entered the 45-54 category. Goodbye to 35-44! Those were definitely some fun years but there are many fun years ahead. I had a great birthday. I worked out in the morning, rode my bike about 4-6 miles (including pedaling up the 3 hills that lead home), had a nice lunch at Brown Sugar Kitchen, went to dinner @ 1300 on Fillmore with friends, and ended the evening by seeing the new Pixar movie, WALL-E, at midnight. May I suggest not going to see a movie after a really good dinner. I had to fight to stay awake. It was a fun day. Miss you mom.

Posted by at 5:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

These are a few of the titles that I have recently added to my iPod. A couple of months ago, I go the new 160Gb iPod Classic. Yes, I actually outgrew my original 60GB iPod purchased in 2005. The new iPod has some really cool features like cover flow which allows you to select an album by scrolling through your covers. That alone has turned me into a album cover fanatic. I upload an album and hopefully the cover is available. If not, I can usually find it out Amazon.com or somewhere else on the internet. If not, never fear! I just scan the cover in from the CD. I currently have over 13,000 songs on my iPod with room for about 27,000 more. When asked if I will ever listen to all the songs, my standard response is "you can never have enough music." Enjoy!

Posted by at 4:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I had the pleasure of photographing the final dress rehearsal for the Duke Ellington musical "Queenie Pie." I watched the first act of the play and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am hoping to go back this weekend to see the play in its entirety. "Queenie Pie" at the Oakland Metro Operahouse runs through Sunday, May 25. For ticket information, call 510-763-1146 or visit www.oaklandopera.org.

Oakland Opera Theater, applauded by local critics and audiences for its intimately staged, professionally produced performances of 20th and 21st century operas, presents local audiences with a thrilling first look at jazz master Duke Ellington’s only opera, QUEENIE PIE. Begun in the 1940’s and left unfinished at the time of Ellington’s death, QUEENIE PIE, the story of a Harlem beauty queen, was written as a tribute to Madame C. J. Walker, the first female African-American millionaire. Under the artistic direction of Tom Dean and musical direction of Deirdre McClure, Oakland Opera Theater has assembled an expert team to complete this jazzy opera gem, including renowned stage director Michael Mohammed, musical orchestrator and arranger Marc Bolin, and playwright Tommy Shepherd. Originally intended as an hour long TV special, this production will be set on a television sound-stage in the late 1960’s à la The Ed Sullivan Show, and will feature the live big-band sounds of the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra. Bay Area chanteuse Amanda King, stage and film actress Kathleen Antonia, and stage veteran Noah Griffin star in this toe-tapping take on one of Ellington’s final works.

See more dress rehearsal photos here.

SHOWS: May 9-11, 15-18, 22-25; Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm; Sundays at 2pm

WHERE: Oakland Metro Operahouse - 630 3rd Street
(three blocks from Jack London Square)

TICKETS: For tickets ($24 seniors, $28 advance, $35 at the door) the public can call 510-763-1146 or visit www.oaklandopera.org

Review:

The cast and the music were spectacular despite some of the uneven moments in the play. Some of the scenes did not fit well. The tv commercial break during the play felt awkward. They were used to provided the audience the concept of the play being tv drama. For example. there was a sudden commercial break up the scene when the main love interest for Queenie Pie and Café au Lait was shot dead by Cafe au Lait. This was an attempt to give you a "sitting on the edge of your seat" moment but it just felt out of place.

The first act flowed much better than the second act. The dream sequence in the begininng of the second felt out of place. Also, Queenie Pie did not have her solo until midway into the second act and just as soon as you got into the song, it was gone. She needed a song that would showcase her beautiful voice and pull the audience into her in the first act in the same way that Café au Lait's theme song lingered in our minds throughout the play. There were also some uneven moments with the sound. If a cast member moved to certain spots on the stage, they could not be heard well.

Overall, the production definitely had its bright moments and with a little more polish, it will only be better.

Posted by at 6:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

"I Remember Sky"
Composed by Stephen Sondheim
Sung by Dianne Reeves
From the I Remember album

I remember sky
It was blue as ink
Or at least I think
I remember sky

I remember snow
Soft as feathers
Sharp as thumb tacks
Coming down like lint
And it made you squint
When the wind would blow

And ice like vinyl
On the streets
Cold as silver
White as sheets
Rain like strings
And changing things
Like leaves

I remember leaves
Green as spearmint
Crisp as paper
I remember trees
Bare as coat racks
Spread like broken umbrellas

And parks and bridges
Ponds and zoos
Ruddy faces
Muddy shoes
And light and noise and
Bees and boys
And days

I remember days
Or at least I try
But as years go by
They're a sort of haze
And the bluest ink
Isn't really sky
And at times I think
I would gladly die
For a day of sky

Posted by at 5:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

During its inaugural year at a new, spacious building in East Oakland's San Antonio District, EastSideCulturalCenter showcased some of the greatest living jazz royalty who never quite got their due. The center's 2007 Malcolm X Jazz Festival kicked off with a concert by tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, who recorded a lot of material for the Italian independent label, Black Saint. This year's jazz festival features a Bay Area lineup, with such notable locals as the John Santos Quintet, the Freedom Now! Band led by Howard Wiley, the Ambrose Akinmusire Project with special guest Goapele, and the Muziki Roberson Quintet with vocalist Dwight Trible. Held this Saturday, May 17 from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. in San Antonio Park (18th Ave. and Foothill Blvd., Oakland), the event also features poets, dancers, live graffiti, crafts, games, and on-site HIV testing. EastSideArtsAlliance.org

Price: free
Time & Date: Sat., May 17,
11 a.m.-7 p.m.
San Antonio Park
18th Ave. (at Foothill Blvd.)
Oakland CA

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