Stories » Trombone Shorty Academy students, master class with John Scofield / OffBeat Magazine - guest blog

Stories for April 19, 2019

  •

    GRAMOPHONE reviews Salonen - Works for Cello by Wilhelmina Smith & Yo-Yo Ma
     
    Posted At : April 19, 2019 9:37 AM

    Wilhelmina Smith's recording underlines one of the fundamental differences between these two composers born in Finland just six years apart. Salonen's music has long prioritised clarity even when it's not the stated aim (and, in one of these works, it is). Saariaho tends to drill down into an idea to the point of shattering it (not always intentionally). To some degree both write ‘traditional' Finnish nature music but where Salonen is more interested in biological and mathematical process (patterns or loops that spiral towards natural end-points and show their workings), Saariaho is fixated on the Nordic spectralist idea of tone colour dictating form. Salonen created something big from small means in that piece, a truly Nordic conceit. But he sensed it could be something bigger, and elements of both ‘breathe' and ‘shine' made it into the composer's Cello Concerto (2017) for Yo Yo Ma. A few features distinguish this work: its constant mobility and directional movement, fuelled by a variety of rhythmic stimuli; its singular spaciousness resulting from delectable, deep orchestration; and the sense that a force of nature lies behind its combination of runic shamanism and scientific logic. The second movement opens with another big bang while the exquisite harmonic clusters at the other end are surely descended from Rautavaara. The rhythmic impetus already mentioned feeds the third movement, pumping its increasingly erratic breathing and eventually driving it into some planet or other before the cadenza. Ma sweeps through the work as if in a single breath, no less bold than Smith and with a charisma that carries the music and the listener along. Not easy, given Salonen's determination to push soloists out on to a high wire. But it says something about composer and performer(s) that technical derring-do is not what you come away with. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL GRAMOPHONE REVIEW

  • Salonen Cello Concerto is most successful with Yo-Yo Ma, L.A. Phil / THE CLASSIC REVIEW
     
    Posted At : April 19, 2019 8:05 AM

    After a Piano Concerto and a Violin Concerto, it was only natural Esa Pekka-Salonen will write a full Cello Concerto, and one may dare say this is the most successful of the three. Like the other two concertos, Salonen enjoys a first-class soloist – the immaculate Yo-Yo Ma, together with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on top form. This recording comes from the debut performance of the piece at Los Angeles' Walt Disney Hall, on February of last year (2018). The audience must have been stunned by the music, as there is barely a hint this is a live recording, save for the dynamism of the performance. All parties are fully committed to the piece, and the sound quality is spectacular. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL CLASSIC REVIEW

  • Chicago Sinfonietta close their 2019 season highlighting musical icons throughout history with Regina Carter / BroadwayWorld
     
    Posted At : April 19, 2019 12:00 AM

    The nation's most diverse orchestra, Chicago Sinfonietta, and Music Director Mei-Ann Chen are proud to present the finale to the illustrious 2018-2019 season with SoundSketch on Saturday, May 11, at Wentz Concert Hall and on Monday, May 13 at Symphony Center in Chicago. A concert rooted in painting portraits in rhythm, blues and beyond, the orchestra puts its own spin on the concept of "the tribute" by highlighting musical icons throughout history in a string-centric program, with MacArthur Genius and violin virtuoso Regina Carter as a featured special guest. Chicago Sinfonietta's performances will occur  In celebration of prominent and iconic women in music across genres and generations, the concert will include performances of Jessie Montgomery's highly string-percussive Strum led by Project Inclusion Conducting Fellow Paola Avila, followed by David Schiff's 4 Sisters, featuring the musical stylings of Regina Carter. Paying homage to jazz and R&B greats Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, 4 Sisters has four movements titled Soul, Scat, Satin and Sassy.  "I am thrilled to finally be taking the stage with the incredible musicians of Chicago Sinfonietta and Mei-Ann Chen for this concert," said Regina Carter. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL BroadwayWorld ARTICLE

  • For 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings, celebrations of the solar system and planet earth take centre stage at this year's Proms / BBC Music Magazine
     
    Posted At : April 18, 2019 12:00 AM

    The programme for this year's BBC Proms has been revealed, with major celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landings scheduled across the season. Founder and conductor Sir Henry Wood is also honoured this year, as the Proms celebrates the 150th anniversary of his birth. Composers have long been inspired by the sound of space, imagined or otherwise. This year's  season will highlight some of these works to mark the anniversary of the moon landings. Holst's The Planets and John Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine will be performed, as well as premieres of Anna Thorvaldsdottir's Metacosmos, which is focused around the concept of black holes, and a work by Zosha Di Castri about the moon landings, which will be the first piece heard at the 2019 Proms.  Public Service Broadcasting has its own Late Night Prom this year, orchestrating its 2015 concept album The Race for Space, which blends music with broadcast recordings from the US/USSR Space Race era. Expanding on the space theme further, there will also be a Sci-Fi Film Music Prom in which the London Contemporary Orchestra will take on legendary scores from cult sci-fi films.  Exploring how our role on earth ties in with the solar system, Hans Zimmer has been commissioned by the BBC for this year's Ten Pieces scheme. His new work, Earth, will be performed in the CBeebies Prom by the Chineke! Orchestra. This Prom will also be broadcast on CBeebies.  The BBC Proms will take place from Friday 19 July to Saturday 14 September 2019. All Proms will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 and 25 of the concerts will be available to watch on BBC TV.  p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL BBC Music Magazine ARTICLE

  • Roman Rabinovich - Haydn Piano Sonatas Vol. 1 makes Classic Voice: April 'New Releases'
     
    Posted At : April 18, 2019 12:00 AM

    The pianist Roman Rabinovich is currently recording all of Haydn's piano sonatas for First Hand Records, with the 2nd volume set for release later this year. A great champion of Haydn's music, his explorations of the keyboard sonatas have included a 42-sonata cycle at The Bath Festival and partial cycles at Lammermuir Festival, ChamberFest Cleveland and the Israel Conservatory of Music. Rabinovich has earned a reputation for bringing Haydn's often-neglected keyboard works to life, praised by The New York Times for "admirable interpretations, performed with a rich, full-blooded sound, singing lines and witty dexterity" (Vivien Schweitzer, April 2016). This first volume includes two CDs featuring Piano Sonatas Nos. 36, 32, 29, 52 and 47, as well as Divertimento in E-flat. See review as cover   p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

  • Vijay Iyer Sextet will play final 2019 performance at CSUN: The Soraya - Jazz / BroadwayWorld
     
    Posted At : April 17, 2019 12:00 AM

    "There's probably no frame wide enough to encompass the creative output of the pianist Vijay Iyer," The New York Times observed. His Ph.D. in cognitive science from UC Berkeley is just the start. He's been recognized as a bona fide "genius" by DownBeat magazine and was named by GQ India as one of the 50 most influential Indians. The jazz pianist is also a prolific recording artist and his quintet will play the final Jazz Club performances of The Soraya's 2018/19 season on May 10 and 11.   READ THE FULL BroadwayWorld ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px}

  • Sandeep Das to receive 2019 Guggenheim fellowship / MIG
     
    Posted At : April 17, 2019 12:00 AM

    The Guggenheim fellowship announced its fellows for this year on April 9, 2019 and two Indian-Americans have made it to the list. Tabla maestro Sandeep Das and chemistry professor Dr Neal K. Devaraj have been recognised for their exceptional work in the field of art and science. The fellowship is awarded by John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for further development of artists and scholars who have established themselves in their field of work. With a career spanning over 28 years, Das is an accomplished tabla virtuoso who debuted at the age of 17 at a concert with sitar maestro Pt. Ravi Shankar. He has not only performed with many of the legends of classical music but also collaborated with many artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Paquito D'Rivera and played with orchestras like the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Symphony Orchestra. His concerts are held regularly at major music centres around the globe and he has also performed at coveted events such as the 150th anniversary of the UNO at the General Assembly Hall (NYC) and for dignitaries like the Queen of England, the Queen of Thailand and the Pope. His collaboration "Sing Me Home" with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble (SRE) won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 2017. He has also received the prestigious Brother Thomas Fellowship in 2017 and Live Arts Boston Grant from Boston Foundation in 2018. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL MIG ARTICLE

Top 10 for Apr

  • Ludovico Einaudi :

    Seven Days Walking - Day 1

     Ludovico Einaudi has played piano on an Arctic glacier, performed at huge pop music festivals, and become the most-streamed classical artist in the world, but the composer and pianist's new album may be his most ambitious project yet.
  • Max Richter :

    Never Look Away OST

     Max Richter's score for the 2018 drama Never Look Away is released on DG.
  • Sarah McKenzie :

    Secrets of My Heart

     After the great success of Sarah McKenzie's 2017 disc, Paris in the Rain(Impulse! Records), the 31-year-old pianist, singer, and composer returns with the poignant, Secrets of My Heart, reuniting with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director, Chong Lim, who produced her first two discs – Don't Tempt Me and Close Your Eyes.
  • The Comet Is Coming :

    Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery

     The Comet Is Comingreleases their Impulse! Debut - Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery US tour starts March 12.
  • Joni Mitchell :

    TMCP-Joni 75 - A Birthday Celebration

     Honoring musical icon Joni Mitchell's legacy and 75th birthday, Decca Records will release The Music Center Presents Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration on March 8, 2019.
  • VOCES8 :

    Enchanted Isle

     The British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is proud to inspire people through music and share the joy of singing.
  • Yo-Yo Ma :

    Salonen Cello Concerto w/Los Angeles Philharmonic

     On March 8, Sony Classical will release a recording of Esa-Pekka Salonen's cello concerto featuring Yo-Yo Ma and the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Salonen's baton.
  • Joep Beving :

    Henosis

     Dutch composer and pianist Joep Beving releases his third album, Henosis today on Deutsche Grammophon – the album marks the final volume in a trilogy of albums that comprises Beving's debut album Solipsism and his sophomore album Prehension.
  • Lang Lang :

    Piano Book

     One of the world's biggest classical stars, Lang Lang, returns with his brand new solo album ‘Piano Book' – a collection of pieces which first inspired him to play the piano and led him on his path to international stardom.
  • Radical Face :

    Therapy

     Radical Face the Los Angeles-based project of musician Ben Cooper will release the Therapy EP on April 26 via Bear Machine Records (pre-order).

Trombone Shorty Academy students, master class with John Scofield / OffBeat Magazine - guest blog

Posted: April 7, 2018 12:00 AM | By: Admin
Bookmark and Share

We made it! Day 1 in New York City is a wrap! After an early (4 a.m.) meet up at MSY, our group of 17 boarded the first flight to Newark, and arrived in downtown Manhattan in time for lunch at the Italian market, Eataly, just down the street from where we are staying by Freedom Tower. Then we all hit the subway, taking the A Train to Greenwich Village and into the iconic Blue Note jazz club.

Our host, Alex Kurland, who books the Blue Note and also co-manages the Soul Rebels, put together an amazing afternoon of musical education and entertainment for us. Once he gave our group a history of the neighborhood and the club and explained his role as the Blue Note's talent buyer, legendary jazz/funk guitarist John Scofield took the stage and captivated us with a Master Class that included his discussing his deep respect for New Orleans, playing with Miles Davis and then calling our students to the stage for a funky jam session.

After the Master Class, we hit John's Pizza, and then back to the Blue Note for Scofield's early set. As we walked through Washington Square Park, the Shorty students took out their horns and drums and began to play.  Check out footage of their performance in the park here! We capped the night with an incendiary performance by Scofield and his stellar ensemble (Gerald Clayton on keys, Bill Stewart on drums and Vicente Archer on the bass).   photo: Dino Perrucci

 

READ THE FULL OffBeat Magazine ARTICLE

Crossover Media Projects with John Scofield

  • John Scofield

    Combo 66

    Grammy Award-winning jazz guitarist, band leader and composer, John Scofield is set to release his new album, Combo 66, marking his 66th birthday, on September 28 via Verve Records. The album, which features long-time drummer Bill Stewart, bassist Vincente Archer and pianist/organist Gerald Clayton, combines jazz with genre-defying elements, allowing Scofield to find new modes of expression.

  • John Scofield

    Country For Old Men

    Coming off a Grammy win earlier this year for his last album, Past Present, John Scofield has been largely in the spotlight over the last year, sitting in the with The Roots on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, gracing the cover of Downbeat and garnering the attention of NPR.   His impressive 40-plus-year career has seen Scofield masterfully tackle multiple genres as well as several eclectic collaborations with everyone from Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, to Government Mule and Medeski, Martin & Wood, not to mention his own groups.

    6 NEW  221 TOTAL
    SYND:     Voice of America, Jazz After Hours, Jazz Happening Now, WFMTNet, Radio DeLuxe, Modern Jazz Today
    Direct: SiriusXM
    Markets include: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Wash DC, Denver, Miami, Portland, Cleveland, Houston, Baltimore, Detroit, Denver, St. Louis, New Orleans, Austin, Minneapolis, San Diego, Austin, Berkeley CA, Kansas City, Albuquerque, Madison WI, Tampa, Santa Fe, Knoxville, San Antonio, Wichita, Omaha, Chattanooga, Bridgeport CT, Bozeman, Honolulu, Toronto, Vancouver
    INTER: Canada, UK, Italy
    Online: Jambands.com, GreenArrow, MOJA, Soulandjazz.com, JazzTimes, billboard, JazzTrail, JazzWeekly, Jazz From Gallery 41, Radio Valencia, Radio CUH, Paste, The Eclectic Chair

    55 JazzWeek ADD's

  • John Scofield

    Past Present

    John Scofield updates his early-'90s quartet with drummer Bill Stewart and saxophonist Joe Lovano by recruiting bassist Larry Grenadier for his fetching, appropriately titled impulse! debut, Past Present. Between 1990 and 1992, the celebrated guitarist released three well-received discs – Meant to Be, Time on My Hands and What We Do – for the Blue Note label as the John Scofield Quartet. On those records, either Marc Johnson or Dennis Irwin played bass. Nevertheless, Grenadier also has history playing with Scofielld; he toured with Scofield in support of the 1996 disc, Quiet.

    The nine exciting tunes Scofield penned on Past Present also reflects his philosophy on playing jazz music. He stresses the importance of being knowledgeable of the music's deep, complex roots while simultaneously being spontaneous and in the moment while performing it. For an artist with such a multifaceted discography as Scofield's, getting to the root of jazz means channeling the blues, as demonstrated on the disc's closing, titled-track. 

    11 NEW  257 Total
    SYND: NPR/Songs We Love, PRI/Jazz After Hours, Voice Of America
    Direct: SiriusXM/Real Jazz, MOOD
    Markets include: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Wash DC, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Minneapolis, Detroit, Baltimore, Denver, Portland, St. Louis, San Diego, Detroit, New Orleans, Milwaukee, Albuquerque, San Antonio, Orlando, Berkeley CA, Tampa, Honolulu, Montreal, Vancouver
    Online: MOJA, Something Else, Taintradio, Jazz From Gallery 41, Party 934, KUHS, Green Arrow, Jazz Weekly, Jambase, PopMatters, Kaleidophonic Jazz, relix, Dirty Dog, animajazz
    INTER: Canada, Australia, Ireland, Italy

    65 Jazzweek ADD's

  • John Scofield

    uberjam deux

    Guitarist John Scofield is comfortable in any setting – whether it be jazz, blues or rock – as he demonstrates on his latest recording, Überjam Deux, on Decca/Emarcy. Überjam Deux has been a decade in the works, following 2002's Grammy-nominated Überjam; not that Scofield has been inactive in the interim, far from it.  There have been seven John Scofield albums in the intervening years, as well as five others on which he is a co-leader on the project. His last Decca/Emarcy release was A Moment's Peace (2011), a luxurious album of ballads – the polar opposite of Überjam Deux.  His uncanny ability to drift between various styles of music with fluency, virtuosity and sincerity is rare. 

    9 New 'ON' this week: 
    SYND:     CBC, Global Village, NPR: Living On Earth(transitions)
    Markets include: Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Wichita
    Online: Taintradio, David Bruce