Jazz Blues Florida - Florida's Online Guide to Live Jazz & Blues at JazzBluesFlorida.com

Casablanca comes ALIVE at the Festival of The Arts BOCA

2012-02-17T18:04:00.001-05:00

You've seen the movie...

You know the lines...

Now, experience CASABLANCA

like never before as

The Boca Raton Symphonia performs

the beloved score LIVE beneath a

giant movie screen!!!

In its sixth year,

Festival of the Arts BOCA

is an extraordinary, multi-day cultural arts event for

South Florida. The Festival brings to its audiences the

world’s most sought after jazz and classical performers

while simultaneously cultivating the stars of tomorrow.

IMG Artists, a leader in worldwide cultural arts management

and producer of three world renowned festivals:

Tuscan Sun Festival, a late summertime festival in

Cortona, Italy; Festival del Sole Napa, a mid-July festival

in Napa Valley, California; and the

Singapore

Sun Festival

in the fall, is once again collaborating with the

Schmidt Family Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park

in the planning and execution of

Festival of the Arts BOCA 2012.

Individual tickets will range from $20 to

$100 per person and packages are available for

admission to all events. Student discounts will be

available for some events with proper identification.

For more information call 561-368-8445

and to purchase tickets visit

www.festivaloftheartsboca.org or call 866-571-ARTS.

Mizner Park Amphitheater &

Cultural Arts Center

590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432

festivaloftheartsboca.org (561)368-8445

EVENT SCHEDULE

March 7^th Wednesday – 7:30 PM

Concert: Jose Carreras (presented by AEG Live)

--- Venue: Amphitheater

March 8^th Thursday – 7:30 PM

Concert: Alfredo Rodriguez and his Trio

--- Venue: Cultural Arts Center

March 9^th Friday – 7:30 PM

Film: Casablanca with Boca Symphonia

conducted by Constantine Kitsopoulos

--- Venue: Amphitheater

March 10^th Saturday – 4:00 PM

Authors & Ideas: Kevin Bleyer

Title: TBD --- Venue: Cultural Arts Center

March 10^th Saturday – 7:30 PM

Concert: The Night at the Opera: with Angela Meade,

James Valenti and Jennifer Johnson Cano and the

Boca Symphonia conducted by Constantine Kitsopoulos

--- Venue: Amphitheater

March 11^th Sunday - 4:00 PM

Authors & Ideas: Barbara McDonald Stewart

Title: "Founding of Israel" --- Venue: Cultural Arts Center

March 11^th Sunday – 7:30 PM

Concert: Time for Three --- Venue: Amphitheater

March 12^th Monday – 7:00 PM

Authors & Ideas: Mika Brzezinski

Title: "Knowing Your Value" --- Venue: Amphitheater

March 13^th Tuesday – 7:00 PM

Authors & Ideas: President’s Panel;

Moderator: Dr. Susan Resneck Pierce, President Emerita,

University of Puget Sound;

Panel: MJ Saunders, FAU and Kevin Ross,

Lynn University

Title: “The Role of the College President in

Preparing Citizens of the World”

---Venue: Cultural Arts Center

March 14^th Wednesday – 7:30 PM

Concert: Valentina Lisitsa, pianist performing with the

Lynn Philharmonia, conducted by Jon Robertson

--- Venue: Amphitheater

March 15^th Thursday – 7:30 PM

Concert: Jazz Roots: Patti Austin Trio, Tony DeSare Trio

--- Venue: Amphitheater

March 16^th Friday – 7:00 PM

Authors & Ideas: Andrew Ross Sorkin

Title: “How To Fix The Financial System”

--- Venue: Amphitheater

March 16^th, Friday – 8:30 PM

Concert & Dancing: Poncho Sanchez

--- Venue: Amphitheater

March 17^th Saturday – 3:00 PM

Concert: Saint Patrick’s Day Bash with Drake School

Dancers, and Seven Nation

--- Venue: Amphitheater

March 18^th Sunday – 5:00 PM

Authors & Ideas: Doris Kearns Goodwin

Distinguished Writer in Residence

Title: TBD - Venue: Cultural Arts Center

~ ~ ~
Posted by Jazz & Blues Florida
Please visit http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/ to sign up to have
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High School Jazz Band Featuring Dan Miller to Present Free Concert in Naples Florida

2012-02-16T15:01:00.002-05:00

Gulf Coast High School Jazz Band

Featuring Dan Miller

Sunday February 26, 2012 at 7:00pm
Free Admission -

Donations Accepted to Benefit Band

Trumpeter Dan Miller, originally from Chicago, has lived and worked in New York City since 1991. He spent eleven years (1990-2000) as a member of the Harry Connick Jr Orchestra, traveling the world and recording numerous albums and televi-sion specials. Dan also toured internationally and recorded with Wynton Marsalis, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Maynard Ferguson, Tom Jones and Woody Herman.

Featuring the music of Count Basie, Duke Ellington,

Dizzy Gillespie, Thad Jones and Maynard Ferguson

North Naples United Methodist Church
6000 Goodlette Rd Naples, FL 34109

For more information call (239) 377-1690

or visit the band's website HERE

~ ~ ~

Posted by Jazz & Blues Florida
Please visit http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/ to sign up to have
Florida's jazz & blues news delivered to your inbox.
Or, just email me at Charlie@JazzBluesFlorida.com
And, if you like what you see here, HIT THAT FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON below!
Thanks!

Jazz Orchestra to perform Porter & Gershwin at Jazz at Pinecrest Gardens Feb 18, 2012

2012-02-16T13:47:00.002-05:00

"Nevins leads what may be

South Florida's finest swing-style

big band. He uses authentic

arrangements from the top groups

of the '30s and '40s, plus more than

30 tunes from the Benny Goodman

songbook."

--Matt Schudel - Sun Sentinel

February 18, 2012

Harvey Nevins Orchestra Plays

George Gershwin & Cole Porter

Indulge in the sounds of the "King of Swings"

as Harvey Nevins transport you to the big band era.

Relive the timeless music in a majestic setting.

Pinecrest Gardens

Banyan Bowl at Pinecrest Gardens

11000 SW 57^th Ave

, Pinecrest Fl 33156
Gates 6:30pm, Show 8pm, $20 & $25

TICKETS 1.877.496.8499 or CLICK HERE

Enjoy light fare at the Gardens Gallery

and Courtyard catered by Thierry's Catering.

Upcoming shows

March 17, 2012

Tito Puente Jr. & The Latin Jazz Ensemble

April 28, 2012

Debbie Orta Sings the Greatest Ladies of Jazz:

Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.

~ ~ ~

Boca Raton's Swing and Jazz Preservation Society's Battle of Bands Semi-finalists Announced

2012-02-15T17:54:00.000-05:00

FIRST ROUND BATTLE OF THE BANDS PBC COMPLETE

Semi-Finalists Are Determined

The semi-finalists in the Swing and Jazz Preservation Society sponsored Battle of the Bands Palm Beach County have been determined. A total of nine public schools received the coveted Superior rating, allowing them to play on February 24 at Olympic Heights High School Auditorium, 5773 Jog Road, Boca Raton, 33496, starting at 6:30 pm.

Semi-finalists are: for Boca Raton - Don Estridge High Tech MS, Omni MS, Boca Raton HS, Park Vista HS and Olympic Heights HS, for Boynton - Christa McAuliffe MS, for Palm Beach Gardens - Dwyer HS, for Wellington – Palm Beach Central HS and for West Palm Beach - Dreyfoos School of the Arts. At each stage of the competition schools receive prize donations from SJPS to their respective school music programs, so that when it is all over the total monies donated will be $21,100. “We are committed to upholding the tradition of American jazz and swing,” explains SJPS President Rene Zerah, “Proceeds from our member supported concerts enable us to donate new instruments and funds to Palm Beach County public schools to help them purchase sheet music, repair instruments, etc.”

Only two Middle Schools and two High Schools will go on to the finals on March 30 at the Spanish River Auditorium to compete for the championship. All competition concerts are free and open to the public on a first come, first seated basis.

“As district chair, I am thrilled not only to see our jazz band participation numbers increase district-wide, but also such great support from our communities,” remarked newly elected District 14 Band Masters Association Chairperson, Evan Rogovin. “We very much appreciate the generosity of the Swing and Jazz Preservation Society”.

The Swing and Jazz Preservation Society is a 501 (c) 3 not for profit corporation producing six concerts a year from November through April at the Spanish River Performing Arts Center, in Boca Raton.

The mission of the Florida Bandmasters Association is to promote and support band programs in the state of Florida by providing opportunities for in-service growth, program evaluation, and student performance. As its guiding principle, the Association further believes that music holds a unique place in human existence and touches our lives in ways that no other experience can. For more information go to: www.flmusiced.org/fba

Floridian, Matt "Guitar" Murphy Inducted into Blues Hall of Fame by Blues Foundation

2012-02-15T17:37:00.001-05:00

The Blues Foundation has announced the 2012 inductees for the Blues Hall of Fame, including Chicago harp master Billy Boy Arnold; blues-rock guitar virtuoso Mike Bloomfield; brother/sister recording act Buddy & Ella Johnson; South Louisiana swamp blues artist Lazy Lester; Memphis bluesmen Furry Lewis and Frank Stokes; guitar genius Matt "Guitar" Murphy; and New Orleans musician, songwriter, an producer Allen Toussaint.

Among the other individuals being recognized by The Blues Foundation this year are: Chicago Blues radio force Pervis Spann; German “American Folk Blues Festival” promoters Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau; and songwriting legend Doc Pomus. The books Bessie by Chris Albertson and The Voice of the Blues: Classic Interviews from Living Blues Magazine, edited by Jim O’Neal & Amy van Singel, will also be inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.

These albums are also being honored: Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues by Buddy Guy (1991) and Bad Influence by Robert Cray (1984). The following singles will be inducted during the ceremony: “It Hurts Me Too” by Tampa Red (1940)(He was born Hudson Woodbridge in Smithville, Georgia, United States. His parents died when he was a child, and he moved to Tampa, Florida, where he was raised by his aunt and grandmother and adopted their surname, Whittaker.^[4] He emulated his older brother, Eddie, who played guitar, and he was especially inspired by an old street musician called Piccolo Pete, who first taught him to play blues licks on a guitar- WIKIPEDIA Citation); “Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie” by Pine Top Smith (1928); and “All Your Love” by Magic Sam (1957).

The induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, May 9, at the Memphis Marriott Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 33rd Blues Music Awards. Plans are underway now to individually honor each of the inductees that night. The Blues Foundation is currently engaged in a $3.5 million campaign to establish a physical Blues Hall of Fame at its headquarters at 421 South Main in downtown Memphis.

The Blues Hall of Fame committee, consisting of scholars, record producers, radio programmers, and historians, is chaired by Jim O'Neal, founding editor of Living Blues.

On May 10, the night after the Blues Hall of Fame inductions, The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards for the 33rd time. Performers, industry representatives, and fans from around the world will celebrate the best in Blues recording, songwriting and performance from the previous year at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis. The evening will see performances by 2012 Hall of Fame inductees and Blues Music Award nominees.

Major funding is provided by ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission. The 33rd Blues Music Awards and Blues Hall of Fame events are also sponsored by Blue Mountain Artists, BMI, Catfood Records, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx, First Tennessee Foundation, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Sony/Legacy Records.

Inductees’ biographies are attached and are available, as well as all Hall of Fame inductees, at http://www.blues.org/halloffame/index.php.

2012 Hall of Fame Inductees

Performers

Matt "Guitar" Murphy only garnered widespread public attention through the 1980 "Blues Brothers" movie, in which he acted in a scene with Aretha Franklin and played with Jake and Elwood's band, but his laurels in the blues world had long been secured by then. His sizzling guitar licks energized Memphis Slim's records in the 1950s and pushed the James Cotton Band to the peak of high-energy blues in the '70s, and along the way he contributed to sessions by Bobby Bland, Sonny Boy Williamson, Otis Rush, Chuck Berry, and many others. Murphy was born on Dec. 28, 1929, in Sunflower, Mississippi, and first made a name for himself around Memphis and West Memphis playing in the bands of Howlin' Wolf and Tuff Green and with the Blue Flames, a young group that included Junior Parker and Ike Turner. News of the hotshot guitarist reached Memphis Slim, who recruited Murphy in 1952 to play with him for almost a decade. When Slim moved to Europe he tried to persuade Murphy to join him there, but Murphy stayed in Chicago, doing session work and playing with blues and jazz bands, along with occasional touring, including the 1963 American Folk Blues Festival in Europe. A long stint with James Cotton put him out on the touring circuit again, but only after the notoriety of the Blues Brothers did Murphy, a lifelong sideman, begin touring with a band of his own. Even then he hired a lead vocalist although he proved he could sing, too, when he gave himself the chance. Murphy recorded his first album for Antone's in Austin, Texas, in 1990, joined by his brother Floyd, also an acclaimed guitarist. After years of playing the blues bar circuit, Murphy suffered a stroke in 2003 but returned to performing in 2009. In the words of the late blues legend Willie Dixon, who hired Murphy to play on sessions and tours whenever he could, "He is definitely the best guitar player -- the best one I heard anywhere." Or, as Memphis Slim put it, Murphy is just "a damn genius." Matt is represented by Bluzpik Productions.

Mike Bloomfield was one of America's top entrants in the battle for blues-rock virtuoso honors in the psychedelic '60s. Bloomfield drew kudos for his guitar prowess with the Butterfield Blues Band, both in Chicago and after the band relocated to California, and played an important role in introducing rock audiences to blues. His guitar work inspired many listeners and musicians, and it was in turn through his recommendation that the bluesmen who inspired him, like B.B. King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Otis Rush, got their first bookings at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco and broke through to a new white audience. Bloomfield was born in Chicago on July 28, 1943, and grew up on Chicago's Gold Coast and in the wealthy suburb of Glencoe. He and his friends credited their black maids with turning them on to the blues, and a teenaged Bloomfield started venturing down to the Chicago ghetto clubs. He not only played with as many bluesmen as he could, but interviewed them, wrote articles about them, and helped them get bookings in white venues in the hip Old Town district. A Bloomfield interview with slide guitarist Robert Nighthawk, conducted during the filming of the

Maxwell Street

documentary "And This Is Free," was later issued on CD. Bloomfield also began playing on sessions with Sleepy John Estes, Little Brother Montgomery, Eddie Boyd, Chuck Berry, Yank Rachell, Sunnyland Slim, Muddy Waters (on the "Fathers and Sons" double LP) and others. He formed a band of his own but left to join forces with Paul Butterfield in an influential band that took the music in new directions, especially on the 1966 album "East-West," which fused blues, jazz, and Indian raga roots. After the band provided the controversial electric accompaniment for Bob Dylan's 1965 Newport Folk Festival appearance, Dylan hired Bloomfield to play lead on his historic "Highway 61 Revisited" LP. Bloomfield went on to form the Electric Flag and then scored his biggest chart hit with the "Super Session" album which co-starred Al Kooper and Stephen Stills. Further big-name collaborations followed, but rock superstardom was not a comfortable slot for Bloomfield, who never lost his love for the blues. Bloomfield died of a drug overdose in San Francisco on Feb. 15, 1981.

Buddy & Ella Johnson formed one of the most successful brother-sister teams in the history of rhythm & blues and big band music. Although their music is unfamiliar to many blues and R&B fans today, they were a top national attraction during the 1940s and '50s, when the Buddy Johnson orchestra was the most tireless touring unit on the chitlin' circuit. The Johnsons, best remembered for the silken ballad "Since I Fell For You," scored a number of hits on the Decca and Mercury labels, including some that reappeared in the records of Chicago bluesmen, such as "I'm Just Your Fool" (covered by Little Walter) and "That's the Stuff You Gotta Watch" (recorded by Muddy Waters). Pianist Woodrow Wilson "Buddy" Johnson composed most of their songs as well, and was one of the few bandleaders to keep a big band working into the 1950s when most such orchestras had to disband or downsize. The Johnson band even thrived as a rock 'n' roll act, appearing on many bills with Bill Haley & the Comets, Chuck Berry, LaVern Baker, and others. Ella's vocals were always a popular feature, and various male singers, most notably Arthur Prysock, also worked with the group. The Johnsons were born in Darlington, South Carolina (Buddy on Jan. 10, 1915, and Ella on June 22, 1917); Buddy moved to New York City in the 1930s and was joined there by Ella in 1940. Buddy claimed that he preferred to play the classics, but when he began touring and recording, he realized that blues-based material was his bread and butter, especially in the South. His catchy dance beat was often advertised as "Walk 'Em rhythm," after one of his popular Decca tunes. He directed his shy sister's career to such an extent that after he retired, she chose to quit also. Buddy died on Feb. 9, 1977, Ella on Feb. 16, 2004.

Lazy Lester, the last surviving member of the colorfully nicknamed South Louisiana blues artists who created the "swamp blues" sound on Excello Records, joins his friend, the late Slim Harpo, in the Blues Hall of Fame. (Lightnin' Slim and Lonesome Sundown have yet to be inducted.) Lester, whose real name is Leslie Johnson, was born on June 20, 1933 in Torras, Louisiana. He began his recording career in 1956 playing harmonica behind Lightnin' Slim, and Slim's exhortations to "Blow your harmonica, son!" became a trademark of their work together. Lester played harmonica, guitar or percussion on many other sessions in Crowley, Louisiana, behind a variety of artists, including Clifton Chenier, Lonesome Sundown and Tabby Thomas. He began recording as a featured artist, also in 1956, showing a stylistic range that included both laconic swamp blues and uptempo rockers. His waxings of "Sugar Coated Love," "I'm a Lover Not a Fighter" and "I Hear You Knockin'" were not chart hits in the '50s but became favorites over the years, and his singles were later covered by the Kinks, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Roomful of Blues, Barbara Lynn and others. One of the world's premier roots music gatherings, the Ponderosa Stomp, took its name from Lester's last Excello single, and Lester has been a regular at that New Orleans event and other festivals in recent decades. Lester left Louisiana for a brief stay in Chicago and settled in Michigan, where he laid low for years working in an auto plant before making a welcome comeback in 1987. He has recorded albums for Blue Horizon, Alligator, Antone's, and APO, and his fine performances, easy-going nature and good-humored presence (on- and off-stage) have made him a favorite with blues audiences around the world.

Furry Lewis was one of the foremost figures in Memphis blues, both during the 1920s when he made his first recordings and again during the blues revival of the '60s and '70s. Lewis was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, possibly on March 6, 1899, although dates of 1893 and 1895 have also been cited. Just after the turn of the century, he moved with his mother to Memphis, which was home to Lewis for most of his life. In his early musical years he traveled with medicine shows and played with musicians such as Jim Jackson and Gus Cannon, picking up not only blues but minstrel songs, folk ballads, and jug band tunes. He also claimed to have played with W.C. Handy's band, and said that Handy gave him a Martin guitar. In 1927 Lewis became one of the first Memphis bluesmen to record when he cut "Furry's Blues," "Jelly Roll," and other songs for Vocalion. His records for Vocalion and Victor from 1927 to 1929 displayed nimble guitar work and a talent for putting together songs peppered with memorable verses, some from traditional sources, others from own mother wit. Decades would pass before Lewis could depend on music for a living, however, and he kept a job with the city of Memphis that entailed garage work, sweet sweeping, and other duties. In 1959, after decades of playing music only for friends and neighbors, Lewis again was at the forefront of a new Memphis blues recording movement when author Sam Charters produced Lewis' debut LP for the Folkways label. Lewis recorded several more albums, appeared at festivals, on television, and in movies, enjoying his final decades while surrounded and supported by a coterie of young musicians and fans, who shared the tasks of retrieving Lewis' guitar and wooden leg from the pawn shop. Upon his death on Sept. 14, 1981, the New York Times entitled his obituary "Furry Lewis, a Gentle Giant of Blues."

Allen Toussaint has been shaping the sound of New Orleans rhythm & blues for more than 50 years, carrying on the tradition of a crew of legendary trailblazers who preceded him to the Blues Hall of Fame: his main influence, Professor Longhair; the producer/bandleader who hired him for his first recording session, Dave Bartholomew; and rock 'n' roll pioneer Fats Domino. Bartholomew used Toussaint to lay the piano tracks on several Domino sides in 1957-58, and Toussaint was on his way to a prolific career as a studio musician, songwriter, producer and arranger, establishing himself as a major force behind the scenes. Toussaint also stepped out front with his own records and live performances, and now headlines festivals around the world, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, where he is a perennial favorite. Toussaint, who was born on Jan. 14, 1938, in the Gert Town district of New Orleans, has also been featured in the HBO series named after another historic neighborhood, "Treme," and has been acclaimed for his community and charity work in the city. His credentials include Broadway plays, movie soundtracks, co-ownership of NYNO Records, an appearance with Professor Longhair in the documentary "Piano Players Rarely Ever Play Together," and productions and collaborations with rock, gospel, country, jazz and reggae stars, in addition to a long list of R&B, blues, funk and soul artists. He has produced records by Albert King, James Cotton, Z.Z. Hill, Etta James, John Mayall, Ernie K-Doe, Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, the Meters, the Neville Brothers, Earl King, Labelle, and Dr. John, and has penned such often-covered classics as "Mother-in-Law," "Get Out of My Life, Woman," "Fortune Teller," and "Working in the Coal Mine." His own albums have blended New Orleans R&B, jazz, blues, sweet soul, and hard funk, all graced by the elegant Toussaint touch. Blues content has varied but is to the fore on his 2009 album "Bright Mississippi," which echoes the Crescent City's traditional jazz legacy with versions of classics such as "St. James Infirmary" and "Winin' Boy Blues."

Frank Stokes, a muscular blacksmith, singer and guitarist, is often regarded as the seminal figure in Memphis blues history. His duets with guitarist Dan Sane, his partner in the Beale Street Sheiks, laid a bold foundation for those who followed, and he was equally effective when accompanied on other recordings by fiddler Will Batts. Stokes' music encompassed minstrel and vaudeville tunes as well as blues, some of them adapted from fellow Memphian W.C. Handy (who had, in turn, written orchestrated blues arrangements based on folk forms played by musicians like Stokes). Yazoo Records entitled its Stokes reissue LP "The Creator of Memphis Blues," asserting that Stokes played a role as pioneer and popularizer in his genre similar to that of Charley Patton in the Delta blues. Stokes was born in Whitehaven, Tennessee, a community later annexed by the city of Memphis, on Jan. 1, 1888, according to information provided by his widow on his death certificate, although Stokes supplied an 1877 birthdate when he registered for the World War I draft. Either way, he was one of the oldest blues artists to record when he made his first Beale Street Sheiks sides for Paramount in 1927, and his repertoire reflected his familiarity with songs that predated the blues, as well as examples of the earliest forms of blues. His recording of "Mr. Crump Don't Like It" preserved the lyrics and flavor of Handy's 1909 campaign song before Handy changed it to "Memphis Blues" when he published it in 1912. Stokes' recording career ended in 1929 but he continued to perform locally and hosted house parties at his Memphis home. He died in Memphis on Sept. 12, 1955.

Individuals

Pervis Spann, "The Blues Man" of Chicago radio, has been a major force in promoting the blues over the past four decades. Spann started as a DJ, promoted concerts at the Regal Theater, co-owned one of the city's top blues nightspots, and acquired radio stations of his own. Along the way he booked or represented the biggest names in blues, including B.B. King, Bobby Bland, Junior Parker, Albert King and Little Milton. Spann was born on August 16, 1932, in Itta Bena, Mississippi, in the heart of Delta blues country. A self-described workaholic, Spann made money as a teenager both picking cotton and managing a local movie theater, and after moving to Battle Creek, Michigan, Gary, Indiana, and finally Chicago after a stint in the military, he worked in a steel mill, drove a taxi, and repaired television sets. He used the G.I. Bill to attend broadcasting school and although he finished last in his class, he was able to combine his knowledge of radio with a business sense of how to use his down-home approach to make money from programming and promoting the blues to an audience he knew very well, since many Chicagoans were also Mississippi transplants. Spann started out on WOPA radio in 1959, and when Leonard and Phil Chess of Chess Records launched WVON in 1963, they hired Spann to fill the late-night blues spot. Spann and fellow DJ E. Rodney Jones promoted blues and R&B concerts and in 1965 purchased the former Club DeLisa, which was later renamed the Burning Spear. When new ownership scuttled WVON in 1978, Spann secured shows on WYEN and WXFM before he and another former WVON personality, Wesley South, acquired the old WVON frequency (1450 AM) to start a new blues and gospel station, WXOL, in 1979, eventually reclaiming the original call letters as well. In 1984 Spann expanded to Memphis with another station, WXSS. During the '70s and '80s Spann presented a number of all-star blues festivals at auditoriums and arenas in several cities. Spann is now retired from active promotion and radio work, and his daughter Melody Spann-Cooper runs WVON as a talk show station.

Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau promoted concerts of all sorts in Europe beginning in the 1950s, but they left their mark in blues history with the groundbreaking American Folk Blues Festival tours of the '60s. Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson No. 2 (Rice Miller), John Lee Hooker, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Memphis Slim, T-Bone Walker, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush, Little Brother Montgomery, J.B. Lenoir, Lonnie Johnson, Victoria Spivey, Big Joe Williams, Sleepy John Estes, Matt "Guitar" Murphy, Hubert Sumlin and many more appeared on these tours, occasionally billed as the American Negro Blues Festival, which introduced live blues to a European audience that has formed a major core of support for touring blues artists ever since. Lippmann and Rau formulated the concept to appeal to the already-established jazz audience in Europe, but what transpired had more to do with emerging rock 'n' roll musicians who soaked up the musicians of the American legends and gave the world new British variations on the blues via the likes of the Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and the Animals. Lippmann and Rau also recorded the AFBF artists in the studio and in concert and featured them in television specials, providing a treasure trove of albums and DVDs for generations of blues aficionados to come. Lippmann, a former jazz drummer and magazine writer, was born on March 3, 1927, in Eisenach, Germany, while Rau, a law student in his early years, was born in Pforzheim on March 9, 1930. They staged the first AFBF in 1962 and presented it as an annual event until 1970, using Willie Dixon and drummer Jump Jackson as Chicago contacts to locate and book the musicians. The festival was held again in 1972, 1981 to 1983 and 1985. AFBF albums appeared on several labels, including Lippmann and Rau's L+R imprint. The pair continued to present jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, and pop acts in the 1980s and '90s, and Rau remained active after Lippmann's death in Dreieich, Germany, on May 5, 1997. Materials compiled from their decades in the music business form much of the Lippmann + Rau Music Archive (formerly the International Jazz Archive Eisenach) in Lippmann's home town.

Doc Pomus was one of the foremost songwriters of rhythm & blues, pop, and rock 'n' roll in the 1950s and '60s, when his resume included hits by Ray Charles, Big Joe Turner, Elvis Presley, the Drifters and many more, often co-authored by his longtime partner and pianist, Mort Shuman. Pomus, born Jerome Felder in Brooklyn on June 27, 1925, was inspired by a Turner record as a teenager and started out singing in local nightclubs. He began recording as a vocalist in 1945 and had releases on Apollo, Savoy and other R&B labels, but songwriting proved to be his ticket to success. At Atlantic/Atco Records he placed songs with Turner ("Boogie Woogie Country Girl"), Ray Charles ("

Lonely Avenue

") Guitar Slim ("Hello How Ya' Been Goodbye"), and others acts including LaVern Baker, the Drifters, the Coasters and Bobby Darin. As a Brill Building musical team he and Shuman also wrote regularly for Elvis Presley, penning "Little Sister," His Latest Flame," and "Devil in Disguise," among others, and their hits for other artists included "This Magic Moment," " Save the Last Dance for Me," and "A Teenager in Love." After he and Shuman parted ways, Pomus left the music business for years and pursued another vocation, gambling. When he began to get more involved with music again in the late 1970s, he focused more of his attention on blues songwriting and producing, working with B.B. King, Big Joe Turner again, Johnny Adams, Roomful of Blues, and Jimmy Witherspoon, among others, and finding a new collaborator in Dr. John. Pomus was a familiar and beloved figure in his wheelchair on the New York club scene until his death of March 14, 1991. He left a legacy of some 1500 songs, according to his web site, including, apropos to this occasion, "Blues Hall of Fame."

Classic of Blues Literature

"Bessie," by Chris Albertson (Stein and Day, 1972; revised edition: Yale University Press, 2003)

"Bessie" was hailed as the best biography ever written about a black performer when it was first published in 1972 and has earned further praise for its even more informative 2003 edition. Author Chris Albertson, a longtime devotee of traditional jazz and blues, had the foresight and good fortune to tackle the fascinating story of "The Empress of the Blues" when relatives and associates of Bessie Smith -- notably her niece, Ruby Walker Smith -- were still around to give first-hand accounts of her exploits. Albertson traces Smith's career from her Chattanooga origins through her rise to stardom on the Theater Owners Booking Association circuit and her best-selling records, on to her death in Clarksdale, Mississippi, in 1937, offering new insights and doing away with myths and ill-informed versions of events that circulated for years.

"The Voice of the Blues: Classic Interviews from Living Blues Magazine," edited by Jim O’Neal & Amy van Singel (Routledge, 2002)

In the belief that the ultimate authorities and historians on the blues were the blues artists themselves, and that their stories were best told in their own words, "Living Blues" magazine published extensive question-and-answer interviews in almost every issue during the 1970s and '80s. "The Voice of the Blues" collects 12 historic interviews, some conducted by editors Jim O'Neal and Amy van Singel, some by Kip Lornell, Tim Schuller, Bruce Iglauer, Bill Lindemann, and others, preserving the words of Georgia Tom Dorsey, Sleepy John Estes & Hammie Nixon, Houston Stackhouse, T-Bone Walker, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Eddie Boyd, Little Walter, Jimmy Reed, Freddie King, Esther Phillips and Little Milton. Several interviews are expanded from the edited versions that originally appeared in the magazine, and the book also includes new or revised introductions and editorial notes and a foreword by Peter Guralnick.

Classic of Blues Recording: Single/Album Track

"It Hurts Me Too" -- Tampa Red (Bluebird, 1940)

Tampa Red proved himself a master of many moods during his long recording career, and with the classic line "When things go wrong, go wrong with you, it hurts me too," he showed how the blues can be an expression of empathy and tenderness. Tampa, who was known as "The Guitar Wizard," takes solos on both slide guitar and kazoo on this May 10, 1940, recording, accompanied by Blind John Davis on piano. The song became a Top 10 rhythm & blues hit when Tampa rerecorded it in 1949 as "When Things Go Wrong," and gained new life with covers by Elmore James, Junior Wells, Eric Clapton and others.

"Pine Top’s Boogie Woogie" – Pine Top Smith (Vocalion, 1928)

"Pine Top's Boogie Woogie" is the record credited with laying the foundation for the boogie woogie craze, but its creator, Alabama-born pianist Clarence "Pine Top" Smith, did not live long enough to witness the phenomenon. Boogie woogie had been known by other names, including "Playing the Fives" and "Dudlow Joe," before Smith immortalized the new term with his Dec. 29, 1928, recording for Vocalion in Chicago. Smith died from a stray bullet in a Chicago dance hall on March 25, 1929, but his legend, his music and his name lived on, as many other pianists came to be called Pine Top or Pinetop, including Blues Hall of Famer Pinetop Perkins.

"All Your Love" -- Magic Sam (Cobra, 1957)

"All Your Love" was the record that introduced the vibrant vocal and guitar work of 20-year-old Magic Sam to the blues world. Produced by Willie Dixon for Eli Toscano's Cobra label, it became Sam's signature tune, one that provided a formula for several of his subsequent records, and a song that lived on as a standard in the repertory of West Side Chicago blues. According to Mac Thompson, the bassist on the session, Sam constructed the song from elements of Ray Charles' "

Lonely Avenue

" and Lowell Fulson's "It's All Your Fault."

Classic of Blues Recording: Album

"Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues" -- Buddy Guy (Silvertone, 1991)

Despite a reputation as one of the world's premier blues guitar slingers dating back to the 1960s, Buddy Guy had never had an album on the charts until he crossed over in spectacular fashion with the 1991 Silvertone release "Damn Right, I've Got the Blues." The presence of guest stars Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Mark Knopfler helped raise his profile, but Guy provided all the necessary firepower to make this a defining moment in his career, playing and singing with passion, pride and fury. The album was the first of several for Guy to win both Grammy and W.C. Handy (Blues Music) awards.

Bad Influence -- The Robert Cray Band (HighTone, 1983)

The Robert Cray Band, already a West Coast favorite when "Bad Influence" was released in 1983, broke through to the national blues circuit on the strength of this fresh and original blend of blues and soul which launched Cray on his path to pop star status. The album was a revelation in its unique style and appeal and helped spark a rejuvenation in blues. The charismatic 30-year-old Cray teamed with the songwriting and production team of Bruce Bromberg and Dennis Walker to win W.C. Handy Blues Awards for album, single and song ("Phone Booth") of the year. Bromberg started HighTone Records to release the LP; HighTone became the quintessential Americana label over the years, and both he and Cray have been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. The hall's selection of "Bad Influence" marks the third year in a row that a Cray album has been so honored, following "Strong Persuader" and "False Accusations."

Billy Boy Arnold emerged as the youngest recording star among Chicago's impressive corps of blues harmonica players in the 1950s, when he cut a series of invigorating blues for Vee-Jay Records, including "I Wish You Would," "I Ain't Got You," and "Rockinitis." Arnold, one of the few bluesmen of his era who was actually born in Chicago (Sept. 16, 1935), hailed from a family of musicians and educators: his brother Jerome was one of Chicago's top bass players and another brother, Augustus, plays harmonica and writes books under the name Julio Finn. Arnold himself is regarded as quite an oral historian, one whose interviews are distinguished by his musicological and sociological perspectives on the blues. As a 12-year-old Arnold idolized John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson so much that he started going to Williamson's home to learn harmonica, and he has paid tribute to Sonny Boy in interviews and in his musical performances ever since. In 1955, after Arnold had been playing on the streets with guitarist Ellas McDaniel for a few years, he and McDaniel went to Chess Records with a batch of songs, including one that ended up with the title "Bo Diddley" after Arnold suggested using the name in the lyrics. McDaniel himself was billed as Bo Diddley when the record came out with Arnold playing harp on the two-sided classic, "Bo Diddley"/"I'm a Man." Arnold took his own songs to Vee-Jay and became a popular attraction in the Chicago clubs over the next few years, when harmonica was at a peak of popularity with the black blues audience. As times and styles changed, harp men fell out of fashion in the '60s, and although Arnold recorded an album for producer Sam Charters on the Prestige label, along with a few other sessions, by the 1970s he was only an occasional presence on the club scene. In the meantime, however, the Yardbirds, the Animals, David Bowie and other rock acts had covered his Vee-Jay recordings, establishing his name with a new audience that came to blues through rock 'n' roll. Arnold, who had been working as a bus driver and parole officer, returned to a busier performing and recording schedule in the '90s, sporting a style that still sounded fresh, just as it had in the '50s. Two strong albums on the Alligator label, followed by releases on Stony Plain and Electro-Fi, have kept his name going, and in 2011 two of his Vee-Jay recordings, "I Ain't Got You" and "I Wish You Would," were included on the Jasmine CD "50 of the Most Influential Blues Songs of the 20th Century."

Tennis and Rockin’ Blues Event Coming to Ocala Florida on April 21

2012-02-15T09:01:00.003-05:00

Rockin' Ed is taking the blues to court in Ocala!

Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club will be hosting a Tennis and Rockin’ Blues Event featuring One-on-One Doubles®, the new game of tennis sanctioned by the USTA, on Saturday, April 21.

The half-court, serve-and-volley singles game, know as One-on-One Doubles, will be the featured tournament format from 4-6 p.m. This will be a 4-man, round-robin competition, played on one court with two matches being played simultaneously. This prize money shootout will feature tennis greats Murphy Jensen, 1993 French Open Doubles Champion, Donald Johnson, 2001 Wimbledon Doubles Champion, Johan Kriek, 1981 and 1982 Australian Open Singles Champion, and Tim Wilkison, former ATP star champion with singles wins over John McEnroe, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

This One-on-One Doubles shootout will be televised on Tennis Channel. Each match will be first to win five games, no-ad scoring, with a tie-breaker at 4-all. Each player will compete against the other three players in this unique two-hour tournament format.

The day of the event, there will be a Pro-Am prize money Doubles tournament, featuring the area’s top tennis talents, from 12:00-2:15 p.m., and a USTA 10 & under program presentation featuring One-on-One Doubles from 2:30-3:15 p.m. Club doors open at Noon for the events. Delicious food, beer, wine and soda will be available for purchase.

There will be a live, rockin’ blues concert after party, from 7-9 pm, with the legendary Jimmy Hall and Friends. Jimmy Hall is the lead singer, saxophonist and harmonica player for the Southern Rock band, Wet Willie. Hall has shared the stage with The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jeff Beck and Grand Funk Railroad. Hall is also the band director for Hank Williams, Jr.

A portion of the event’s proceeds will benefit the Interfaith Emergency Services of Ocala.

Two Tennis and Rockin’ Blues Events featuring One-on-One Doubles have been held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the home of the U.S. Open. Since the game’s inception in 2004, One-on-One Doubles has been played at ATP, USTA, USPTR and ITA national events. The game’s founder, Ed Krass, is also the Founder/Director of the College Tennis Exposure Camp, a summer camp program taught exclusively by head college coaches for aspiring college bound tennis players.

The rain date for the One-on-One Doubles tennis event is Sunday, April 21 from 12-2 p.m. The Jimmy Hall & Friends concert is rain or shine as the concert area is tented.

General admission tickets are $30 in advance, $40 day of event. VIP Tickets are $150 in advance, $170 day of event, and include admission into VIP parking, VIP seating, and VIP areas including food, beer, wine and soft drinks.

To purchase tickets online, go to www.ticketweb.com and type in “Tennis and Rockin’ Blues Event.” For more information, call (813) 684-9031. For more information about this event, visit www.tennisandrockinblues.com.

~ ~ ~

Keb, Buddy, Shemekia, Susan, Derek and Warren headed to the White House!

2012-02-14T21:00:00.002-05:00

As part of their “In Performance at the White House” series, the President and First Lady will invite music legends and contemporary major artists to the White House for a celebration of Blues music and in recognition of Black History Month. The program will include performances by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Jeff Beck, Gary Clark, Jr., Shemekia Copeland, Buddy Guy, Warren Haynes, Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Keb Mo, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, with Taraji P. Henson as the program host and Booker T. Jones as music director and band leader. The President’s remarks will be pooled press and the entire event will be streamed live on www.whitehouse.gov/live starting at 7:20 PM ET.

“In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues” will be broadcast Monday, February 27 at 9 PM ET on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings). The program will also be broadcast at a later date via the American Forces Network to American service men and women and civilians at U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.

As she has done with previous White House music events, the First Lady will host a special daytime event for students. The First Lady will welcome 120 middle and high school students from across the country to take part in an interactive student workshop event: “At the Crossroads: A History of the Blues in America.” Beginning at 2:30 PM in the State Dining Room, The GRAMMY Museum’s Executive Director Robert Santelli will lead the students in an overview of the origins of the Blues, discuss important artists from throughout its history, and cover the genre’s evolution from African American spirituals and work songs to its influence on the chart-topping hits of today. Featured performers from the evening event will share their experiences as well as answer student questions about the music and entertainment world. Students from 24 schools from the following ten communities will participate: Belleville, Illinois; Indianola, Mississippi; Kensington, Maryland; Long Beach, California; Los Angeles, California; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey; Seattle, Washington and St. Louis, Missouri.

The workshop, “At the Crossroads: A History of the Blues in America,” will stream live on www.whitehouse.gov/live.

“In Performance at the White House: Red, White and Blues” will be the eighth “In Performance at the White House” program hosted by the President and Mrs. Obama. Starting in February 2009, these events have honored the musical genius of Stevie Wonder and Sir Paul McCartney; celebrated Hispanic musical heritage during Hispanic Heritage Month; marked Black History Month with events featuring the music from the Civil Rights Movement and Motown; spotlighted Broadway and the unique spirit of the American musical; and explored the rich roots and resiliency of Country Music.

Florida’s 6th Annual Bonita Blues Festival Line Up Announced for March 9 & 10, 2012

2012-02-14T07:15:00.001-05:00

2012 Bonita Blues Fest

On Friday March 9^th, 2012 from 2pm - 9:15pm and Saturday, March 10^th, 2012 from 11:30am - 9:30pm; - Rain or Shine - we will be holding the 6th Annual Bonita Blues Festival, at Riverside Park on Old US-41 in Bonita Springs, Florida.

The Bonita Blues Charitable Foundation is proud to announce the charities we have selected to assist this year. They are the Bonita Assistance office, which offers "a hand up not a hand out", The Music for Minors Program, supplying instrument's for local kids who can't afford them, the local chapter of the Wounded Warriors Project and The Music Therapy program at the Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida, which we had an opportunity to experience first hand and just seeing the effects of music on these children, we are so proud to add them as a charity this year.

Friday Happy Hour from 2pm - 5pm - $1.00 off all beverages

Do bring: Blankets, Sunscreen, Deck Chairs, Money for Vendors, (An ATM will be available), Happy Feet

Please No: Coolers or Pets

Friday March 9, 2012

2:00 pm – Mudbone w/ Rick Howard
3:15 pm – Deb & The Dynamics w/ Special Guests

4:30 pm – Damon Fowler Group

6:15 - Karen Lovely

8:15 pm - Tinsley Ellis

Saturday, March 10, 2012

11:30 am – Gator Nate & The Gladezmen
12:45 pm – The Kim Page Band
2:00 pm - Stringtown
3:15 pm – Skyla Burrell
4:45 pm – Mel Melton & The Wicked Mojos

6:30pm - Trampled Under Foot

8:15pm - Magic Slim & The Teardrops

Tickets for Friday are $20
Tickets for Saturday are $25
Save yourself a few bucks and buy

the Two Day Pass in Advance for just $30 now!

$40 at gate!

http://www.bonitablues.com/

Riverside Park

9101 Bonita Beach Rd SE (old 41)

Bonita Springs, FL 34135

(239)947-0715

Map This Location

PS – I will be volunteering at the T-shirts booth Sat until 4pm. Come say “Hi”! Charlie

~ ~ ~

Bayshore CAPA Jazz Series Continues February 19, 2012 in Naples Florida

2012-02-13T09:44:00.001-05:00

Bayshore Cultural and Performing Arts Center, Inc.

Presents Jazz in the Park

At Sugden Regional Park , Naples

Sunday, February 19, 2012, 2:00 PM

Admission is FREE; on site parking is $5

Bring chairs and blankets

Featuring The Dan Heck Trio

Dan Heck, guitar

Stu Shelton, piano

James Martin, drums

Heck is a jazz guitarist/bassist and composer

living in Naples, Florida. Dan is a graduate of

Berklee College of Music and has been a professional

musician for over 20 years in Boston, New York,

Paris and Seattle. He has performed at many prestigious

venues around the world including the Blue Note in

New York and the Space Needle in Seattle.

He can be heard on dozens of recordings as both a

sideman and a leader and is a co-founder of the

award winning Seattle jazz ensemble, Bebop and

Destruction. Dan’s playing is best described as

“modern jazz” with a heavy “bop” influence.

Sugden Regional Park

4284 Avalon Drive

Naples, FL 34112

collierparks.com (239)793-4414

~ ~ ~

City of Orlando Hosts 6th Annual Blues B-Q Feb 18, 2012

2012-02-12T09:14:00.000-05:00

ORLANDO MAYOR BUDDY DYER

INVITES YOU TO THE SIXTH ANNUAL

BLUES B-Q FESTIVAL

City of Orlando’s Blues B-Q

MAYOR BUDDY DYER BRINGS BACK THE BLUES
Free Blues Music, Barbeque and Fun!

The City of Orlando’s Blues B-Q has quickly become one of Orlando’s most original events. Injecting the blues genre into the Downtown culture, this FREE blues festival has attracted music fans from across the state.

Blues B-Q is one of the City of Orlando’s four signature events and features national and local blues acts as well as Orlando’s finest mouth-watering barbeque available for purchase. Now in its sixth year, Blues B-Q boasts previous headline acts such as GRAMMY Award winning artists Buddy Guy, John Mayall, Shemekia Copeland, The Robert Cray Band, Jonny Lang and Queen of the Blues Koko Taylor.
WHO:

Trombone Shorty &

Orleans Avenue

The Lee Boys

BB King's Allstar Band

CeCe Teneal

and The Kevin Maines Band.

WHEN:

Saturday, February 18, 2012
3:00 to 10:00 p.m.
WHERE:

Church Street Plaza in front of Amway Center

400 West Church Street

Orlando FL

PARKING: For parking information,

please visit cityoforlando.net/bluesbq

Please note the GEICO

garage will be closed.

~ ~ ~

Posted by Jazz & Blues Florida

Please visit http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/ to sign up to have

Florida's jazz & blues news delivered to your inbox.

Or, just email me at Charlie@JazzBluesFlorida.com

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Last Flight Out Big Band Completes Bienes Center Jazz Series

2012-02-11T13:08:00.001-05:00

Big Band Completes New Jazz Series

Bienes Center for the Arts

at St. Thomas Aquinas

2801 SW 12 Street, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33312

bienescenterforthearts-sta.org (954)513-2272

Map This Location

February 19, 2012

"A Swingin Evening of Entertainment"

with

Mark Fernicola

and

The Last Flight Out Big Band

Doors 5pm, seating 5:30pm, show 6pm

Advance tickets @ $24.99

includes free parking

This is not a dinner show.

Drinks and Lite Fare appetizer food

will be available.

For ticket purchase for this show:

TICKETS

~ ~ ~

Jupiter Performing Arts Fund Hosts Jazz Great Bill Mays' "Mays at the Movies" Feb 18, 2012

2012-02-10T02:42:00.000-05:00

An Evening with Bill Mays to Benefit Jupiter Music Students

Jupiter Performing Arts Fund presents “Mays At The Movies” on February 18, 2012, 7-10 pm. at the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta.

Join us for a special night with legendary pianist, composer, & recording artist Bill Mays along with Marty Morell on drums & Richard Drexler on bass.

Bill has played alongside Sarah Vaughan, Woody Herman and Frank Sinatra and will be performing excerpts from original movie scores as well as other scores to which he has contributed. Some of the many movies in which Bill has performed include Charade, The Sandpiper, Spartacus, Julie and Julia, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factor &, Fargo.
This concert takes place in the intimate setting of the beautiful Lighthouse ArtCenter and will include drinks, appetizers, and desserts. Space is limited so reserve your seat early as we expect to sell out. For more information or to purchase tickets go to: www.jpaf.org or call: 872-222-JPAF.

Jupiter Performing Arts Fund is a not-for-profit organization formed for the purpose of encouraging, promoting and supporting music in the Jupiter public schools. Students who play a musical instrument have a higher level of academic achievement, concentration and sense of confidence while building valuable social skills in teamwork, communication and leadership.
To date, JPAF has donated $25,000 of used musical instruments through its “New Life for Old Notes” program.

JPAF has also provided $40,000 for scholarships, artists in residence, new instruments, commissioned music and other unbudgeted items to enhance Jupiter school music programs and help students grow musically & academically.
This concert is sponsored by Key Private Bank.

Tickets can be purchased on the front page by

credit card or pay pal

or call 872-222-JPAF (5723)

Limited space, so get your tickets early...

excitement is sturring already!

Experience Bill & his trio playing songs from

his CD "Mays at the Movies"

with songs from movies he has composed

for or played on.

The Jupiter Performing Arts Fund, Inc. was formed for the purpose of encouraging, promoting and supporting music within the public education system in the Jupiter, Florida area. The mission of this not-for-profit organization is to enhance the music departments and help music students move up the ladder of success by providing instruments, artists in residence, music clinicians, scholarships and provide resources for students to advance. Through sponsors, grants and our "New Life for Old Notes" program, we hope to help wherever unavailable, reduced or restricted funding prohibits students from succeeding to their full musical potential.

The Scholarship Drive is still on!
PLEASE DONATE WHATEVER YOU CAN TO HELP A STUDENT IN NEED
OF BETTERING THEIR MUSICAL EDUCAION!
This goes directly to scholarhips & your name can be on one!
DONATIONS ACCEPTED ON THE FRONT PAGE OR MAILED IN
Your 100% tax eductible donation is greatly appreicated!
Call for more info at 872-222-JPAF (5723)
THANK YOU!

~ ~ ~
Posted by Jazz & Blues Florida
Please visit http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/ to sign up to have
Florida's jazz & blues news delivered to your inbox.
Or, just email me at Charlie@JazzBluesFlorida.com
And, if you like what you see here, HIT THAT FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON below!
Thanks!

Something different under the Florida Sun – a day of Divas at Satchmo!

2012-02-09T07:29:00.001-05:00

Divas, Divas, and MORE Divas!

Satchmo

2861 E Commerical Blvd

, Ft Lauderdale FL 33308

satchmoblues.com (954)530-6147

Feb 26, 2012

Divas @ Satchmo

Hosted by Kitty Ryan, formerly of O’Haras

Featuring

Liz Sharp, Lisanne Lyons,

Rita Wilburn, Nicole Hart,

Nicole Yarling, Joan Cartwright,

Juanita Dixon, Debbie Orta,

Wendy Pedersen, Maria Rivas &

CoCo Rouzier

~ ~ ~

JAZZ ROOTS’ Blues & Soul at Arsht Center February 17, 2012

2012-02-08T21:37:00.000-05:00

BLUES AND SOUL

Knight Concert Hall

FEBRUARY 17, 2012

ROBERT CRAY and SHEMEKIA COPELAND

Celebrate Black History Month with music! Jazz Roots

brings together two magnificent artists who pay tribute

to the roots of blues and soul, but take the music to an

inspired new level.

Called "the torchbearer for gritty, Southern-style blues"

by The New York Times, Robert Cray—Grammy winner,

vocalist and guitar hero—has continually topped the

Billboard Charts with his high energy recordings.

Shemekia Copeland, the daughter of the late great

Texas blues guitar hero Johnny Copeland, began her

career on the blues circuit at the age of 16... She is now

recognized as the new lady of the blues. "She was

born to belt" says The New York Times, "with a big, bright

voice" that rocks the house wherever she performs!

BUY TICKETS HERE

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

of Miami-Dade County, Inc.

1300 Biscayne Blvd.

, Miami FL 33132

Administrative Offices (786) 468-2000

Box Office (305) 949-6722

~ ~ ~

Gil Anthony's BLUES POWER Top 30 CDs for February, 2012

2012-02-08T21:13:00.000-05:00

TOP 30...BLUES POWER...FEBRUARY 2012...WWNT, DOTHAN AL....WVVL, ENTERPRISE, AL...SUNDAY AND MONDAY
6-11PM CDT STREAMING LIVE AT GILANTHONYBLUES.COM
1...Sugar Ray ...Evening...Severn
2...Etta James..Dreamer...Verve
3...Cash Box Kings...Holler & Stomp...Blind Pig
4...Beth Hart/Joe Bonamassa...Don't Explain...J&R Adventures
5...Kilborn Alley...4..Blue Bella
6...Sharrie Williams..Out of the Dark...Electro-Fi
7...Sean Costello...At His Best Live...Landslide
8...Mac Arnold..Blues Revival..Vizztone
9...Sharon Lewis..Real Deal...Delmark
10..Omar Coleman..West Side Wiggle...Honey Bee
11..Little G Weevil...Teaser..Apic Rec
12..Omar & the Howlers..Essential Collection..Ruf
13..Joe Louis Walker...HellFire..Alligator
14..Dion...Tank Full of Blues...Blue Horizon
15..Ruthie Foster..Let it Burn...Blue Corn
16..Harrison Kennedy...Shame the Devil...Electro-Fi
17..James Armstrong...Blues at the Border...Catfood Rec
18..Toronzo Cannon..Leaving Mood...Delmark...
19..Microwave Dave...Last Time I Saw You...
20...Daddy Mack Blues Band..Pay the Piper...Inside Sounds
21...Suzanne & Blue Church..Cost of Love...Goregous Tone Music
22...Big James...The Big Payback...Blind Pig
23...Mary Bridget davies..Wann Feel Somethin'....
24...Hertiage Blues Orchestra...And Still I Rise...Raisin' Music
25...Shawn Starski..same...Cookitup Music
26...Contino..Back Porch Dogma...Blind Pig
27...Ghost Town Blues Band...Dark Horse...Inside Sounds
28...Levee Town..Pages of Paperwork..Levee Town
29...Debbie Bond..hearts Are Wild..Blue Root Prod
30...Nick Moss..Here I Am..Blue Bella
Blues Power..2 different programs heard Sunday & Monday 6-11pm cdt on 2 different stations in 3 different cities..WWNT, Dothan, Al...WVVL. Enterprise, Al...streamed live at gilanthonyblues.com and on radio station web sites

Mailing Address
Gil Anthony
1301 Alexander Dr. Apt K=81
Dothan, Al..36301
email...bluegil@hotmail.com
Website..gilanthonyblues.com
Phone...334-718-1736 Posted by Jazz & Blues Floridawww.JazzBluesFlorida.com

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Florida's jazz & blues news delivered to your inbox.
Thanks!

Earl Klugh at The Duncan this weekend!

2012-02-07T21:39:00.002-05:00

DUNCAN THEATRE presents…

Single Tickets Now On Sale
By calling the box office at (561) 868-3309
Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm
or online at http://www.duncantheatre.org/

The Duncan Theatre to Celebrate its 25th Anniversary Season – A Season of Reflection & Discovery

CONCERTS

Earl Klugh Saturday, February 11, 2012 @ 8PM Individual Tickets: All seats $29

In a recording career of over three decades, master guitarist Earl Klugh has been lauded first as a prodigy and groundbreaker, then a defining figure, and ultimately, as one of the true statesmen of contemporary jazz. Earl Klugh has recorded over 30 albums in a multi-million-selling career, four of which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Jazz Album chart. He has been nominated twelve times for the Grammy® Award, in jazz fusion, best arrangement and pop instrumental categories, winning the 1980 Grammy® for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for the million-selling album One on One. In recent years, Klugh has toured on nearly every continent, carrying the banner for jazz music, its legendary musicians, and for global social awareness. The New York Times hailed Klugh, “…a guitarist with impeccable technique.”

Hot Club of San Francisco: Cinema Vivant Saturday, February 18, 2012 @ 8PM Individual Tickets: All seats $27 The Quintet of the Hot Club of San Francisco performs their amazing CINEMA VIVANT film show- 3 silent films accompanied by live gypsy jazz. Imagine yourself in the idyllic French countryside in the 1930's. Sometime before dark, a gypsy caravan sets up camp in a field outside of town, luring the locals out for an evening’s fun. The wanderers travel with a film projector, pointing it at the side of a barn. As the images flicker to life beneath the stars, gypsy musicians play their guitars and fiddles, matching every movement on the screen with characteristic virtuosity, passion and humor. Reviving this lost entertainment,

The Hot Club of San Francisco presents Cinema Vivant, an evening of vintage silent films accompanied by live gypsy swing featuring filmmaker Ladislaw Starewicz’ The Cameramans Revenge (1912), a charming piece about the marital troubles of beetles and The Mascot (1933), an adventure story about lost toys; and There It Is (1928), a recently rediscovered film by Bowers, is a whimsical comedy about a mysterious occurrence investigated by Scotland Yard.

Barrage: Soundtrack of the World Saturday, March 3, 2012 @ 8PM

Individual Tickets: All seats $29

Barrage – A high-octane fiddle-fest that features an international, multi-talented cast performing an eclectic mix of music, song and dance. Barrage has entertained millions of people around the globe. Fans in Europe, Asia and North America have enjoyed Barrage at International Festivals, Concert Performances, Special Events and TV appearances. Barrage performances offer a diverse fusion of cultures, musical styles and incredible performance vitality. The music of Barrage continues to evolve - combining contemporary world music influences, layered vocal arrangements and pulsating modern beats and rhythms. The young, hip cast delivers the show with amazing energy and musical virtuosity that will take your breath away.

“Barrage is too Wow for Words!” – Denver Post

“After an evening of performing jigs on rocket fuel, it’s no wonder that more than a few horse hairs snapped on their bows” – LA Daily News

MODERN DANCE

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Friday & Saturday, February 24 & 25, 2012 @ 8PM Individual Tickets: All seats $37

Romantic… Radiant... Exuberant... Edgy... a few words that describe this engaging troupe of dancers with a big vision for presenting intriguing collections. With matinee idol beauty, Olympian athleticism and Nobel laureate inventiveness, this is a company that delivers on its reputation as one of the most up and coming dance companies in America, prompting The New York Times to call this troupe’s premiere at the Joyce Theater, “A breath of fresh air." An exuberant and sophisticated company with a European flair, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has been inspiring audiences with it refreshing collection of new work by today’s most innovative choreographers. Led by Artistic Director Tom Mossbrucker – a former celebrated star of the Joffrey Ballet – the chamber-sized ensemble presents sophisticated gems by such choreographers as Twyla Tharp, Nicolo Fonte, Trey McIntyre, Jorma Elo and David Parsons.

Pilobolus Friday & Saturday, March 23 & 24, 2012 @ 8PM Individual Tickets: All seats $39

This collaborative dance company is acclaimed for its mix of humor, invention, and drama. From very humble beginnings over 35 years ago, Pilobolus has created a dance vocabulary all its own – and emerged into an innovative, unlikely and almost-uncategorizable dance company that combines athleticism, grace and humor with a profound sense of unity. Their smooth, organic choreography -- featuring unusual partnering and lifts -- often blurs the lines between individual performers, creating a sense of dance-troupe-as-organism.

"Your beliefs in the nature of strength, endurance and gravity will not hold. In fact, they will be defied. And every time you think, 'Whoa, how the hell did they do that?' they will take it further." -Dance Insider

Pilobolus is sponsored through a generous gift by Jeanne Kanders

“These performances by Ballet Memphis are funded in part by a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs. Ballet Memphis is also funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts. NDP is supported by lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitible Foundation, with additional funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Community Connections Fund of the MetLife Foundation, and the Boeing Company Charitable Trust.”

After the Show – Wait, Don’t Leave…

Post-Performance Talk-Backs follow all Dance performances:

Post-Performance Talk-Backs follow all Dance presentations throughout the season. Live performances become even livelier with behind-the-scenes discussions with performers, choreographers, artistic directors and technicians that “make it all happen.”

Friday Night Dance Series

Subscription Prices for the 4 Performance Series:

Orchestra - $130

Balcony - $110

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet - Friday, February 24, 2012 – 8 p.m.

Pilobolus - Friday, March 23, 2012 – 8 p.m.

Juke Box Generation Music Series

Subscription Prices for the 3 Performance Series

All Seats $59

A three concert series featuring some of the greatest songs of the 50’s, 60’s and the Doo-Wop era!

The Hit Men Friday, February 10, 2012 @ 8PM Individual Tickets: All seats $27

Relive mega-hit songs of the 60s, 70s and 80s performed by the guys who played, sang and recorded them!

"Oh What A Night"… when The Hit Men come to town! The Hit Men includes three former Four Seasons: guitarist Don Ciccone (who was also a member of the Critters and Tommy James and the Shondells), keyboardist Lee Shapiro and drummer Gerry Polci. Come hear all your favorites including "Who Loves You," "Could It Be Magic," "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown," "Mr. Dieingly Sad," "Younger Girl," "You Belong To Me", "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Walk Like A Man," "Bye Bye Baby," "Hanky Panky," "Draggin' The Line," "Mony, Mony" and more ...

American English Thursday, March 1, 2012 @ 8PM Individual Tickets: All seats $27

“American English is the best Beatle show on the planet! They are The Beatles incarnate!” - Sam Leach, original Beatles promoter and founder of the Merseybeat movement and author of "The Birth of the Beatles"

You’ll be transformed to a spectacular musical excursion of Beatles history from the early beginnings and early years of Ed Sullivan with classic Beatle favorites such as “She Loves You”, “Twist and Shout”, “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, and many others. Next, the psychedelic era of the Beatles and the incredible versions of selections from Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour down to the final years of the Beatles partnership. Relive the years of The White Album, Let It Be, and

Abbey Road

. Every musical and visual detail is magically shaped in a colorful journey back in time. Moving renditions of songs such as “Hey Jude”, “Something”, and “Let It Be”, are sure to complete the tribute to the Beatles!

Rave On! The Buddy Holly Experience Wednesday, March 28, 2012 @ 8PM Individual Tickets: All seats $27

Remember poodle skirts? How about carhops, the twist, hula hoops and Buddy Holly? Well, the '50s aren’t just a thing of the past… This electrifying show pays homage to rock n’ roll’s immortal legend - Buddy Holly. The impact of the music will make a lasting impression on audiences of all ages! Come celebrate the music of Buddy Holly with us – “It’s So Easy”!

Classical Café Series

All Performances in the intimate Stage West Theatre except where noted. Duncan Theatre Members attending each concert are invited to a post-performance Meet & Greet with the Artist

The 2011/2012 Classical Café series is sponsored through a generous gift from Hermine Drezner and Jan Winkler

Chamber Orchestra Kremlin Wednesday, February 8, 2012 @ 3pm

Individual Tickets: All seats $27 Chamber Orchestra Kremlin has earned national and international recognition as one of Russia's leading ensembles featuring some of Russia's finest young string players under the creative baton of its founder and music director Misha Rachlevsky. Whether it is the highly-acclaimed CDs or its mesmerizing concerts, Chamber Orchestra Kremlin's warmth and high energy create addictive performances that stay with listeners long after the last note has been played. Please note: This performance in Duncan Theatre

Afiara String Quartet Wednesday, March 14, 2012 @ 3pm Individual Tickets: All seats $27

The all-Canadian Afiara String Quartet, currently the graduate resident string quartet at The Juilliard School in New York, offers performances of “startling intensity” with a “powerful, keen-edged collective sound” (San Francisco Classical Voice). Winner of the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, the Young Canadian Musicians Award, and top prizes at the Munich ARD International Music Competition and the Banff International String Quartet Competition, Afiara balances a lively interest in new works with deep insight into core classical repertoire.

Saturday Family Fun

These delightful programs, representing the best of music and theatre for children and families, will educate, entertain and engage while introducing young audiences to the performing arts.

TheatreworksUSA’s Skippyjon Jones

April 14, 2012 @ 11AM and 1PM

Individual Tickets: All seats $8.50

Skippyjon Jones is a little kitten with big ears and even bigger dreams! Sometimes he pretends to be a bird, or a llama, or a whale… anything but a Siamese cat! Based on the book by Judy Schachner, and from the creators of Junie B. Jones and Click, Clack, Moo – Skippyjon is an enchanting musical about unleashing your powerful imagination and following your dreams!

Duncan Theatre

2011-2012 Performance Season

Chamber Orchestra Kremlin Feb 8 @ 3pm

The Hit Men Feb 10 @ 8pm

Earl Klugh Feb 11 @ 8pm

Hot Club of San Francisco Feb 18 @ 8pm

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Feb 24 @ 8pm

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Feb 25 @ 8pm

American English Mar 1 @ 8pm

Barrage Mar 3 @ 8pm

Afiara Quartet Mar 14@ 3pm in Stage West

Pilobolus Mar 23 @ 8pm

Pilobolus Mar 24 @ 8pm

Rave On!:The Buddy Holly Experience Mar 28 @ 8pm

Skippyjon Jones Apr 14 @ 11am & 1pm

Single Tickets Now On Sale
By calling the box office at (561) 868-3309
Monday - Friday 10:00am - 5:00pm
or online at http://www.duncantheatre.org/

The Duncan Theatre is located on the Lake Worth campus of

Palm Beach State College at the northeast corner of

6th Ave. South

and

Congress Avenue

Parking is plentiful and FREE!

Directions: From I-95, take exit 63 (

6th Avenue South

)

and go west for one mile, entrance on right

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Around Town (Miami) in Nothin' Flat & 4/4 Time by Al Kanovsky

2012-02-06T13:56:00.000-05:00

One of the musicians that has always made me happy is known as Johnny O. He plays tenor, congas and does Joe Cocker like vocals. Someone, on Jan. 29 stole his sax (Christine). It is a 1950's Selmer Mark VI, custom-made with a silver neck, decorated with black lacquer bell and signed by the late Clarence Clemons. Like every musician knows, some instruments are treasured as family members. That is how Johnny feels about his "Christine". If anyone approaches you, or if you have any information about this horn contact Johnny at 954-589-5697 or e mail
johnnyo627 @ yahoo.com
(removes spaces to email). There is a reward offered but don't let that be your motivation. JohnnyO has always made us tap our toes and clap our hands---help if you can!!!

28th International Blues Challenge Results

2012-02-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

The winner of the band competition is: The WIRED! Band (Washington Blues Society)
The winner of the solo/duo competition is: Ray Bonneville (Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas)
The other winners are: Band-2nd place: The Bart Walker Band (Nashville Blues Society); Band-3rd Place: Paula Harris (The Golden Gate Blues Society); Solo/Duo-2nd Place: Dr. Don's Double Dose Sydney Blues Society
Also, the Gibson Guitarist Award went to: Bart Walker ; and the Lee Oskar Top Harmonica Player was awarded to: Randy McQuay
The Best Self Produced CD was judged to be: Where I'm Coming From... - Dave Keller

Meta-world jazz saxophone artist Uri Gurvich make Florida debut at Arts Garage in Delray Beach

2012-02-05T08:24:00.000-05:00

Arts Garage

180 NE First Street, Delray Beach FL 33444

$20-$30 Adv/$25-$35 Door

Limited seating.

TICKETS: www.artsgarage.org

BYOW ~ Bring Your Own Whatever!

Audience members are encouraged to bring a basket of

goodies, a bottle of wine, nibbles.....

Saturday, February 11, 2012, 8pm

Uri Gurvich

Saxophonist and Composer

Born and raised in Israel, Uri Gurvich won the Jazz Player of the Year competition in Israel before relocating to Boston to attend the prestigious Berklee College of Music studying under Joe Lovano. He has played at prestigious jazz festivals and venues in Europe, Japan and the US, including Lincoln Center and Blue Note.

Gurvich is an in-demand saxophonist who won acclaim as a leader with his 2009 debut, The Storyteller which was released on John Zorn`s label - Tzadik Records. Featuring Leo Genovese on piano, Peter Slavov on bass, Francisco Mela on drums and Chris Cheek on tenor sax, some of the most prominent voices on the contemporary New York jazz scene. The music places Israeli, Yemenite, East European and North African music into a progressive jazz context.

From the Press

"Gurvich presents a compelling and strikingly original program that is imbued with beautiful, soulful melodies and brimming with ecstatic improvisation."

Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times

"The Storyteller is a brilliantly auspicious debut by a major new voice in jazz."

Thom Jurek, All Music Guide - 4 Stars

"A new Tzadik disc, The Storyteller, which features lush, emotive post bop with an Israeli tinge" Time Out, NYC "As much a jazz album as a celebration of Gurvich`s cultural background."

Andrey Henkin, All About Jazz TZADIK Records press release

"The Storyteller is another exciting release out of the New Israeli Jazz scene, this time featuring alto saxophonist Uri Gurvich. Passionate and virtuosic, The Storyteller is a fabulous debut CD by this brilliant and talented composer/saxophonist."

John Zorn

"It’s meta-world jazz, and it’s breathtaking."

Washington City Paper

"Uri Gurvich's alto sax treatment of the melody is haunting and powerful."

Jazz Review

“Melodic freshness, wealth of textures, rhythmic refinement and control of dynamics influenced by the tradition, the Folk-blues (Yan Garbarek in Nigun), Coltrane and David Binney"

Cuadernos de Jazz (Madrid - Spain)

"Gurvich's saxophone work is soulful and easy to like – he has a pleasant, broad tone and builds his solos slowly and thoughtfully, though not without surprises."

Jazz Review

"Gurvich is clearly steeped in the influence of MY FAVORITE THINGS-era John Coltrane, along with Middle Eastern roots music, but he and his crack band bring these elements together in a way that is fresh, forward thinking, and listener-friendly."

Muze

Performance Highlights

Jazz a Vienne Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, San Sebastian Jazz Festival, Marciac, Lincoln Center, JVC Jazz Festival, Centro Coltural De Belem, DC Jazz Festival, Nisville Jazz Festival, St. Petersburg Jazz Festival, The Blue Note, The Jazz Standard, The Red Sea Jazz Festival, The Israel Opera House and more.

Upcoming Jazz Project Winter/Spring Performances

Saturday, February 12, 2012, 8pm

Troy Anderson

Troy Anderson, trumpet player extraordinaire, has performed and starred as Louis Armstrong with the Gold Coast Jazz Society's Music Series, and around the

United States

. For three years he was the lead trumpet with the 2AD(FWD) U.S. Army Jazz Show Band, and it was during that time he was asked by the Army's Command Sergeant to put together a show featuring nothing but Louis Armstrong's greatest hits. From that assignment the Wonderful World Tribute Band was born.

A Tribute to Louis Armstrong

"Anderson is simply amazing as Louis Armstrong."

- Stu Grant, South Florida Jazz Radio personality

Saturday, February 25, 2012, 8 PM

Turk Mauro

“…a swinger with his feet in the old school but with ideas out of the bop era and later.” ~ The Washington Post

“…passionate and swinging.” ~ The New York Post

Back by Popular Demand a true Jazz giant, internationally renowned saxophonist Turk Mauro | Recipient of the Broward Best of Award for Best Jazz Artist, Mauro began his professional Jazz career at 14 and quickly progressed to gig with such names as Henry “Red” Allen, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Billy Mitchell, Dizzy Gillespie, among many others.

Friday, March 9, 2012, 8pm

Rose Max

Rose Max returns to the Arts Garage for another evening of hot

Brazilian jazz, samba, and bossa nova.

"Rose Max has delighted South Floridians since arriving from Rio de Janeiro in 1993. Rose Max always takes the audience on a trip to the beaches, streets and bars of Rio without ever leaving the room." - Miami New Times

Saturday, March 24, 2012, 8pm

Davis & Dow

Soul mates who are two strong halves of one BIG sound, Davis and Dow tackle jazz and pop standards with a daring sense of abandon. Their style is deeply rooted in the classic jazz tradition but with a playfulness that keeps the music fresh and fun. Their arrangements are unique and inventive, always seeking a new approach to everything they do.

"A South Florida version of Joe Pass and Ella Fitzgerald"- The Palm Beach Post

Saturday, April 14, 2012, 8pm

Othello Molineaux

Othello Molineaux is widely credited with introducing 'pan' to the jazz world. His musical genius brought the amazing sound of steel drums to millions of new listeners who had previously considered the instrument to be a novelty item. Besides his acclaimed CD, "It's About Time," Othello has made history playing on classic recordings with Jaco Pastorius, Chicago, Monty Alexander, Michael Urbaniak, and others.

Saturday, April 21, 2012, 8pm

Jesse Jones, Jr.

The ever popular, immensely talented saxophonist Jesse Jones, Jr. will return to Arts Garage by popular demand. The father of 'Scat-Hop' and Miami Jazz Hall of Fame inductee consistently thrills and entertains his audiences with his own unique style and swinging interpretations.

Saturday, May 2, 12, 8pm

Sammy Figueroa &

His Latin Jazz Explosion –

Celebrating Latin Culture

Sammy Figueroa has long been regarded as one of the world's great musicians. As one of New York's most sought after session players Sammy played on countless albums, film scores and appeared often with both The David Letterman Band and the Saturday Night Live Band. He has recorded and toured with Miles Davis, the Brecker Brothers, Sonny Rollins, Michel Camilo, Chaka Khan, David Bowie, and Mariah Carey

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 8pm

Troy Roberts & Nu-Jive

Hailing from the remote location of Perth, West Australia, award winning saxophonist and composer Troy Roberts is currently based in the

USA

. Around the time of his 3rd release as a leader, "The XenDen Suite" – an 8-part suite for jazz quartet and string quartet – Troy spent some time in L.A. as the only Australian semi-finalist in the 2008 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition, and having recently received his first Grammy Nomination medal for his performance on Sammy Figueroa's latest record, "The Magician" (nominated for Best Latin Jazz Album of the year), Troy continues to maintain a busy performance and recording schedule around the globe, is currently on Adjunct Faculty at The University of Miami, and has just released his new record, "Nu-Jive" (available from CDbaby and iTunes).

Friday, May 26, 2012, 8pm

Chris LaBarbera

Chris LaBarbera, from Hollywood, Florida, has been in high demand in South Florida for his jazz playing and exceptional upper register. Frank Sinatra Jr., Ray Charles, Dick Hyman, Carl Fontana, and Flip Phillips are among those who have tapped his talents. His most influential teacher was Donald S."Doc" Reinhardt and his favorite mentor is the great Lin Biviano.

About Arts Garage

Arts Garage is the venue of choice for a diverse array of local, national and international performers, as well as the preferred destination for those in search of arts seekers and aficionados. Established in April 2011, its mission is to collaborate with emerging artists and cultural innovators to facilitate an exchange of art and ideas and present cutting-edge, interdisciplinary performances and exhibitions.

Located in the heart of Delray Beach, at

180 NE First Street

in Pineapple Grove on the ground level of a parking garage, Arts Garage seeks to transform Delray Beach into a boutique metropolitan city through arts and culture. The venue’s casually intimate ambiance reflects the feel of its City, and the Garage’s BYOW policy is avidly applauded.

For more information on Arts Garage, performances and booking tickets, visit the organization’s website: http://artsgarage.org

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IBC Update: Selwyn Birchwood, Florida Blues Musician & Band, Make Final Cut

2012-02-04T03:05:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit - Bella Mondschein

28th International Blues Challenge Finalists Announced

The doors of the Orpheum Theatre open at 1:00pm Saturday, Feburary 4 for band finals which begin at 2:00pm. The solo/duo finals will begin at 7:30 pm.

Nine acts will compete for the top band prize. They are (in performance order):

Mikey Junior & the Stone Cold Blues (Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation)
Noah Wotherspoon Band (Dayton Blues Society)
Sherry Pruitt Blues Project (Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society)
The Bart Walker Band (Nashville Blues Society)
The WIRED! Band (Washington Blues Society)
Selwyn Birchwood Band (Suncoast Blues Society)
Taylor Scott & Another Kind of Magick (Wyoming Blues & Jazz Society)
Paula Harris (The Golden Gate Blues Society)
The Lefty Collins Band (Magic City Blues Society)

Eight acts will compete in the solo/duo finals. They are (in performance order):

Lucious Spiller (Arkansas River Blues Society)
Randy McQuay (Cape Fear Blues Society)
D'Mar and Gill (Central Mississippi Blues Society)
Robert Sampson (Illinois Central Blues Club)
Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul Deslauriers (Montreal Blues Society)
Ray Bonneville (Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas)
SPOONS & ABEL (Sonny Boy Blues Society)
Dr. Don's Double Dose (Sydney Blues Society)

Florida Blues Bands Roll Big in Memphis - FIVE advance to semi-fianls of IBC

2012-02-03T12:34:00.005-05:00

Semi-finalists at International Blues Challenge 2012 from the State of Florida:

Selwyn Birchwood representing Suncoast Blues Society
Little Jake Mitchell & The Soul Searchers representing North Central Florida Blues Society
Blues Dragon representing The South Florida Blues Society
Pitbull of Blues representing The Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast
RJ Harman representing The Orange Blossom Blues Society

Semi-final competition will be held Friday, 2/3/12 and finals on Saturday, 2/4/12.
The complete list of semi-finalists is as follows:

(Alfred's)
Mikey Junior & the Stone Cold Blues - Jersey Shore Jazz & Blues Foundation
Fred Chapellier - France Blues
The Delta Sonics - Colorado Blues Society
Lawyers Guns & Money - Cape Fear Blues Society

(B.B. King's)
John F. Klaver Band - Dutch Blues Foundation
Travellin Brothers - Asociacion Musical Blues Hondarribia
Skinny Velvet - Blue Ridge Blues Society
Jill West and Blues Attack - Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania

(Blues City Cafe)
The Mojo Webb Band - Blues Association of South East Queensland
Daddy Mack Blues Band - Crossroads Blues Society of Rosedale, Mississippi
Sherry Pruitt Blues Project - Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society
Terry Gillespie Trio - Ottawa Blues Society

(Club 152)
Pristine - Norsk Blues Union
Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle - Cleveland Blues Society
Tony Vega Band - Houston Blues Society
Blues Dragon - South Florida Blues Society

(Flying Saucer)
Chris Canas Band - Detroit Blues Society
RJ Harmon & Co. - Orange Blossom Blues Society
Memphis Cradle - North East Ohio Blues Association
The Bush League - Natchel' Blues Network

(Hard Rock Cafe)
The Shaun Booker Band - West Virginia Blues Society
Selwyn Birchwood Band - Suncoast Blues Society
The Sugar Prophets - River City Blues Society (IL)
Miss Julia and the Cruzers - Austin Blues Society

(Historic Daisy Theater)
Noah Wotherspoon Band Dayton Blues Society
The WIRED! Band Washington Blues Society
The Pitbull of Blues Band Blues Alliance of the Treasure Coast
The Willie J. Laws Band Massachusetts Blues Society

(New Daisy Theater)
The Bart Walker Band - Nashville Blues Society
The Candymakers - Iowa Blues Societies
Little Jake & The Soul Searchers - North Central Florida Blues Society
The Robbie Laws Band - Cascade Blues Association

(Rum Boogie Cafe)
Paula Harris - The Golden Gate Blues Society
Taylor Scott & Another Kind of Magick - Wyoming Blues & Jazz Society
Micke & Lefty feat. Chef - Finnish Blues Society
David Kimbrough Jr. - Arkansas River Blues Society

(Superior Bar)
Mike Bourne Band featuring Stoney Brooks - Atlanta Blues Society
The Blues Expressions - Decatur Blues Society
Lil' Slim Blues Band - Omaha Blues Society
Jeremiah Johnson and the Sliders - St. Louis Blues Society

Wet Willie's
The 24th Street Wailers - Toronto Blues Society
Pistol Pete Blues Band - Windy City Blues Society
Robbie Antone's Blues Machine - Great Lakes Blues Society
The Lefty Collins Band - Magic City Blues Society

Solo/Duo

(Blues Hall)
Owen Poteat, The One Man Boogie Band - Blue Ridge Blues Society
Dr. Don's Double Dose - Sydney Blues Society
Sean "Bad" Apple and Martin "Big Boy" Grant - Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola
Spoons & Abel - Sonny Boy Blues Society

(Club 152 3rd Floor)
2blu - Magic City Blues Society
Randy Norris & Jeff Nicely - Washington Blues Society
Blueshine Dou - Memphis Blues Society
The Used Blues Duo - Sacramento Blues Society

(King's Palace Cafe)
David "Boxcar" Gates - White Rock Blues Society
Liz Mandeville & Donna Herula - Windy City Blues Society
The Delta Boys - Vicksburg Blues Society
Two Blue - Topeka Blues Society

(Orpheum Juke)
Big Daddy Wilson Duo - Baltic Blues
Trimmed and Burning - Austin Blues Society
Jimmy Davis - Kentuckiana Blues Society
Chad Altenbaumer and Chris Lancaster - Paris Blues Society

(Pig on Beale)
Ross Neilsen - Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival
RoosterFoot - Natchel' Blues Network
Bill "Swamp" Shaka with Tony C - Connecticut Blues Society
Ray Bonneville - Ozark Blues Society of Northwest Arkansas Inc.

(Silky O'Sullivan's)
Jake Hill - Nashville Blues Society
Robert Sampson - Illinois Central Blues Club
Randy McQuay - Cape Fear Blues Society
Johnny O. - Colorado Blues Society

(Silly Goose)
D'Mar and Gill - Central Mississippi Blues Society
Lucious Spiller - Arkansas River Blues Society
Kenny Acosta - Voodoo Blues Krewe New Orleans Blues Society
The Bottoms Up Blues Gang - Lake of the Ozarks Blues Society

(Westin Lobby Bar)
The Mighty ORQ - Houston Blues Society
Bryce Janey - Iowa Blues Societies
Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul Deslauriers - Montreal Blues Society
Johnny Barbato & Luther Wamble - Gulf Coast Blues Society

American Folklife Center to Provide Free Streaming of Complete Lomax Global Jukebox Library

2012-02-03T09:29:00.000-05:00

Alan Lomax's Global Jukebox treasure trove of music is being digitized and will be available for free streamimg starting the end of February.

"...some 5,000 hours of sound recordings, 400,000 feet of film, 3,000 videotapes, 5,000 photographs and piles of manuscripts, much of it tucked away in forgotten or inaccessible corners — is being digitized so that the collection can be accessed online. About 17,000 music tracks will be available for free streaming by the end of February, and later some of that music may be for sale as CDs or digital downloads."

See full article at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/arts/music/the-alan-lomax-collection-from-the-american-folklife-center.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&ref=todayspaper

Canadian Jazz Diva presented by Gold Coast Jazz Society Feb 8, 2012

2012-02-03T08:31:00.000-05:00

Jazz Vocalist Sophie Milman Debuts in Fort Lauderdale

Feb 8th, 2012 7:45 pm

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 the Gold Coast Jazz Society presents the Juno Award winning Canadian jazz vocalist, Sophie Milman. The concert begins at 7:45pm at the Amaturo Theater, located at

201 SW 5^th Ave, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

. Single tickets are $40 and student tickets are $10 with student ID. Tickets can be purchased through the Broward Center Box Office at 954-462-0222 or online at either http://www.goldcoastjazz.org/ or http://www.browardcenter.org/. A pre-concert Jazz Riff jazz talk will be given by jazz radio personality Stu Grant at 7:00pm in the theater before the show.

Sophie Milman is a charismatic young Russian-born, Israeli-raised, Toronto-based jazz vocalist who's well on her way to becoming an international sensation. Still in her twenties, she's been a household name in Canada since 2004, when her debut album established her as a major artist in her adopted home country. Since then, she's continued to take the jazz world by storm, topping the Billboard jazz and iTunes charts Canada, the U.S., France and Japan, winning a Juno Award, and captivating audiences worldwide. Her most recent CD, In the Moonlight, is her fourth album.

The intimacy and immediacy of Sophie Milman's singing reflects the dramatic experiences that shaped her early life. Born in Russia's Ural Mountains, she left for Israel with her parents in an effort to escape the strictures and uncertainties of life under communism. Among the few possessions that her family managed to hold onto was a cherished collection of vinyl jazz bootlegs. Those recordings would become the foundation for Sophie's lifelong love of jazz. Spending her formative years in Israel, Milman continued to gravitate towards jazz and other American music forms, developing a deep affinity for such seminal artists as Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Louis Armstrong. When she was 16, her family emigrated again, to Toronto, where she quickly became a part of that city's rich, diverse music scene. She began her musical career almost by accident, after being asked to participate in a local jazz series. Her talents quickly won her local notoriety, and it wasn't long before she had earned a record deal with Linus Entertainment, an independent Canadian label.

Although she was barely into her 20s when it was released, Sophie's self-titled 2004 debut album became a major hit in Canada, establishing her as a rising star and an in-demand live act. Her 2007 sophomore album Make Someone Happy debuted at #1 on Billboard’ Canadian jazz chart and peaked at #3 on Billboard’s U.S. jazz chart, and won a Juno Award as Vocal Jazz Album of the Year. 2009's Take Love Easy also debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Canadian jazz chart and reached #4 in the U.S. The live EP release Live at The Winter Garden Theatre and the 2008 DVD Live In Montreal further enhanced Milman’s international reputation.

Milman's recording success led to performances at such prestigious venues as the Hollywood Bowl, the Kennedy Center, the Montreal Jazz Festival, Toronto's Massey Hall and the legendary Blue Note clubs in New York and Japan. She's also shared stages and/or collaborated with a varied array of musicians from the jazz, pop and rock worlds, including Randy Bachman, Chris Botti, Gary Burton, Chick Corea, the Manhattan Transfer, Cesaria Evora, Jesse Cook and the Neville Brothers.

Tickets are still available for the Feb. 8 performance. For further concert information call the Gold Coast Jazz Society at 954-524-0805 or go online to http://www.goldcoastjazz.org/

Broward Center for the Performing Arts

Amaturo Theater

201 SW 5th Ave.

Ft. Lauderdale FL 33312

Shows at 7:45pm

Pre-concert Jazz Riff with Stu Grant – 7:00pm

Purchase tickets at http://www.goldcoastjazz.org/

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Jazz & Blues Florida February 2012 Online Edition Posted

2012-02-01T09:29:00.001-05:00

The new edition of Jazz & Blues Florida, Florida's free online source for information on live jazz and blues in clubs, concerts and festivals, is now available. Readers throughout Florida and visitors coming from around the world consult this site for information on the vibrant scene to be found throughout the sate.

The February 2012 online edition of JAZZ & BLUES FLORIDA has been posted at www.JazzBluesFlorida.com. The feature articles are all previews of upcoming performances throughout Florida by selected jazz and blues artists. We would rather tell you about what you might want to see than tell you about what you missed.

This month’s preview features include:

Main Feature: Jamie Ousley Trio

Spotlight Features:

Christian McBride
Terell Stafford
Jacky Terrasson Trio
Hot Club of San Francisco
Uri Gurvich
Michael Locke & The Repeat Offenders
Big Sandy and His Flyright Boys
Robert Cray and Shemekia Copeland
Allen Toussaint and Trombone Shorty with
Orleans Avenue
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Janiva Magness
Elliot Sharp

The website provides hundreds of current listings for clubs, concerts and festivals throughout the state along with photos from shows, video showcases, news about new Florida CD releases, current news blog postings, personal recommendations and suggestions, and links to important resources including jazz and blues associations, radio and web programming, and educational resources.

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Boston’s on the Beach’s Blue Tuesdays – The Madness Continues

2012-01-29T14:28:00.004-05:00

Blue Tuesday Who’s Who at

Boston’s on the Beach

in Delray Beach Florida w/ Famous Frank

Boston’s on the Beach

40 South Ocean Blvd

(A1A)

Delray Beach FL 33483

561-278-3364

Blue Tuesday w/ Famous Frank

8:30(or so) -11:30pm(or so)

THIS WEEK!

Jan 31: Nick Moss & The Flip Tops

Feb 7: Mitch Woods & His Rocket 88s

Feb 14: Valentine’s with "The Sauce Boss"

Bill Wharton and the Ingredients.

Feb 21: Muggie Doo &

The United States Allstars

Feb 28: Terry Hanck & Special Guests

JP Soars and the Red Hots

March 6: Skyla Burrell

March 13: Karen Lovely

March 20: Davina & The Vagabonds

March 27: Eric Culberson

April 3: Terry Hanck

April 10: Victor Wainwright & The WildRoots

April 24: Southern Hospitality

Never a cover – always a good time.

Every Sun: Grateful Dead Night (7pm)

Every Mon Reggae Night (10pm)

Every Thur Classic Rock Night (9pm)

And other great music throughout the week.

~ ~ ~

Posted by Jazz & Blues Floridawww.JazzBluesFlorida.com
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Miami Jazz News Blogging by our Friend, Al Kanovsky

2012-01-28T12:57:00.000-05:00

It's Saturday. It's dark outside. It's nite or early evening if you like. Flo is in the Apple and I am on my own. Afflicted by my inherent laziness I am sitting down with the remote in hand, watching the primary results (yawn) from South Carolina (yawn). I am suddenly struck with a severe atack of FLOITIS. This is an uncommon disorder suffered only by those who have spent anytime with Flo. The symptoms are easily recognized. Something in your head keeps repeating "What are you doing at home? There's music out there somewhere. Let's go". I must stop that voice. I get up, take a shower (don't shave but don't tell) and get dressed in basic black. I want you to notice that I am in touch with my "feminine side". I get in the car and head for "Soykas". Tonite Don Willner(bass) hosts with Mike Orta(piano) and featuring---quoting Don Willner---"song stylist" Dana Paul.

Soykas is no "dollar & a dream" story. This is venture capital at its best. An experienced club and restaurant owner, mucho dinero and the expertise to create a winner. Last but not least is the respect and love of JAZZ. That is the description that the owner and creator Mark Soyka deserves.

Mr. Soyka in his time has known and employed more JAZZ musicians than anybody, ever, in S. Florida history. A great room, interesting menu, courteous efficient staff and live music. See website for dates. One suggestion, If you are there for the "musica" sit up close. Conversation from the diners can be distracting. I have mentioned it before, Don Willner is an exceptional bass soloist. His long term association with Mike is evidenced in their playful attitude with one another. Dana Paul has re-invented himself. The first time I heard Dana was 5 or 6 years ago. Basically a rock & Roller using a synthesizer for background. Observing the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly has been a wonderful experience for me. Observing the progressions musical artists make in their careers is part of what Flo and I love so much about JAZZ. Dana showed his love of his art at last nites performance. Battling the last throes of a winter flu he ran through a repertoire of be-bop, ballads and blues to an appreciative audience. Fred Jacobs (trumpet) who has played gigs(long ago) with Don and Mike sat in and promised to come to the rent party. Mike's friend Luz, invited me to sit at their table which gave me the opportunity to chat with all of them. Someday, I promise to write some of the funny, tragic and always interesting tales I hear of days gone past.

Don't forget the RENT PARTY, Monday nite. It's a don't miss event. Toes tappin' hands clappin' keep on onnin' al k

Award Winning Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival set for February 18, 2012

2012-01-27T13:07:00.002-05:00

The Rippingtons

featuring Russ Freeman

Starring

Peter White

Mindi Abair

7^th Annual

Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival

February 18, 2011, 1-6 P.M.

Laishley Park

100 East Retta Esplanade

Punta Gorda, FL 33950-3651

All VIP and Premium tickets are SOLD OUT.

General admission tickets still available, though may not be available on day of event!

Visit www.puntagordachamber.com and click Online Payment Center for ticket reservations. Tickets will be mailed next business day until week of event, when they will be held at WILL CALL in park.

Don’t delay and miss out on three amazing acts appearing on one festival stage – the award-winning Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival.

~ ~ ~
Posted by Jazz & Blues Floridawww.JazzBluesFlorida.com
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Florida's jazz & blues news delivered to your inbox.
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Sax Great Boney James at King Center in Melbourne FL January 31, 2012

2012-01-27T02:29:00.002-05:00

Boney James

Tuesday, January 31st - 8:00pm

Praise for Boney James...

Boney James' album "Contact" was nominated for a

2011 Soul Train Music award in the Contemporary Jazz category.

Four Gold albums, three Grammy nominations,

a Soul Train Award and an NAACP Award nomination.

Named "The No. 3 Top Contemporary

Jazz Artist of the Decade" by Billboard Magazine.

James' song "Spin" marked his 20th single to hit No. 1

on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Chart.

Ticket Prices:

$40, $35, $20

Plus applicable handling fees

Tickets Available At:

THE BREVARD MUSIC GROUP

321-783-9004

www.brevardmusicgroup.com

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS!

King Center Box Office

321-242-2219

www.kingcenter.com

King Center for the Performing Arts

3865 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne, FL 32935

kingcenter.com (321)242-2219

Contact Us
Ticket Office: 321.242.2219
Ticket Office Hours:
Noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday
Noon to 4pm. Saturday
Closed Sunday
For groups and hotel/ticket packages call
321.433.5824. or email us at
mailto:groups@kingcenter.com

http://www.kingcenter.com/

Other Great Upcoming Shows

Feb 1: Michael Feinstein

Feb 10, 11, 12: Bronx Wanders

Feb 11: The Official Blues Bros. Revue

March 14: Moody Blues

April 12: Sergio Mendes & Jon Secada

April 23: Elvis Costello

May 12: Straight No Chaser

~ ~ ~

Rose Max to perform at Jazz at Pinecrest Gardens January 28, 2012

2012-01-26T14:03:00.000-05:00

“Rose will take you on a trip to the

beaches, bars and clubs of Rio

without ever leaving the room”

Miami Herald

Pinecrest Gardens

Rose Max and Ramatis

In an evening of Sizzling Samba,

Sultry Bossa Nova and

Pure Unadulterated Jazz

Banyan Bowl at Pinecrest Gardens

11000 SW 57^th Ave

, Pinecrest Fl 33156
Gates 6:30pm, Show 8pm, $20 & $25

TICKETS 1.877.496.8499 – pinecrestgardens.org

Cocktails and Brazilian Inspired Tapas by Thierry

Upcoming shows

February 18, 2012

Harvey Nevins Orchestra Plays

George Gershwin & Cole Porter

March 17, 2012

Tito Puente Jr. & The Latin Jazz Ensemble

April 28, 2012

Debbie Orta Sings the Greatest Ladies of Jazz:

Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald.

~ ~ ~

ELIZA NEALS "messin with a fool" Album Release & Live Performance at Van Dyke in Miami FL Feb 6, 2012

2012-01-26T13:24:00.000-05:00

Eliza Neals is "handily bridging the idea of a blues chanteuse, the classy, sexy singer, to a genre that seems to be overrun with style-over-substance singers... husky crooners don't come along like this very often" Metrotimes 2011

An assembly line of blues and rock drives “messin with a fool,” it captures Detroit’s independent spirit with true grit and motor city soul. Eliza Neals sought out the unique talents of veteran writer/producer Martin ‘Tino’ Gross (Kid Rock, RL Burnside) and united him with Detroit legend Barrett Strong (Marvin Gaye, Temptations) to begin provocative recording sessions. Eliza’s “strangely sultry blues voice” and cool writing style melted with the two masters forging a solid union. Completing their first song plus music video in the summer of 2010, proved “Misery” could truly bring happiness!

Now "messin with a fool" is ready* with twelve songs hammered to a Bluesy-Motown-Rock-Soul-Fortress! Eliza will perform the new songs LIVE at "The Van Dyke" in Miami Beach February 6, 2012 at 9pm.

Recently gracing the cover of Metrotimes over the labor day music festival weekend, proved that Eliza Neals is in a lane all her own. "It is an honor to be given the cover of MetroTimes hailed as the Village Voice of the Metro Detroit area. We work hard, it feels good..." says Eliza. Metrotimes links below
Detroit Street-cred would sum things up, the album has songs written by Barrett Strong (Money, Heard it Through the Grapevine, WAR, etc), Tino Gross (Uncle Kracker, Howling Diablos), Johnny 'Bee' Badanjek (The Rockets) and Don 'Doop' Duprie (The Inside Outlaws). Musicians include Tino Gross, Barrett Strong, Jimmy Bones (Kid Rock), Leonard Moon (Mitch Ryder), Mike Smith (770), Johnny Badanjek, Don Duprie, Duke Fakir Jr (Four Tops), Steve Dresser and Eliza Neals plus more.

"The new songs are inspired by whats happening right now in Michigan and around the world" says Mr. Strong, "people need to understand the problems and fix em, sometimes good music breaks down those barriers."

"Eliza Neals aka 'The Detroit Diva' would be the house band if I had my way" says Pete Fogel a long time music booking agent for The Bitter End. "Powerful beautiful female vocals and a smart quick band that can jam!"

"Awesome your album is gonna blow minds..." Tino Gross
"Messin with a fool"
1. Misery
2. Man's Man
3. Shame
4. ESP
5. In Charge
6. Rather Go to Jail
7. Raining in Detroit
8. Living with Yo Mama
9. Money
10. Can't Stop (No No)
11. Pig
12. Love Hurts More.

MUSIC Videos:
1. Misery
2. Man's Man
3. Love Hurts More (live)

~ ~ ~

Blues benefit for Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope in Jupiter FL Jan 28, 2012

2012-01-25T09:46:00.000-05:00

If you enjoy blues or just great music, “Three Guitars” is an event you will not want to miss.

The event will be held at the beautiful Out of the Blue Restaurant in Jonathan’s Landing, Saturday, January 28^th from 7 – 11 PM. Headlining the evening will be 3 of the best known guitarists in the blues arena, Antonio Bolet, Tommy Benson and Famous Frank Ward. Ken Burkhart will be on keyboards, Rick Rossano, bass and Raul Hernandez on drums. Drew Golden will accompany Tommy Benson’s performance on the Sax.

As Jupiter’s own, Antonio Bolet, guitarist, said, “All of us are accomplished players and have a mutual admiration and respect for each other. Our styles are very different as well, so the audience will enjoy an eclectic and energetic evening “.

Tickets for the event are only $20 each and will include a buffet dinner, cash bar. All proceeds will benefit Cancer Alliance of Help and Hope to assist cancer patients with normal everyday living expenses while undergoing treatment. Call 561-748-7227 for reservations so we can tell Jonathan's security you are coming. Seats are limited and going fast, so don't delay!

~ ~ ~

South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center Presents Blues Superstar Keb’Mo’ The Reflection Tour

2012-01-24T08:20:00.000-05:00

South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (SMDCAC) presents three-time Grammy Award winner Keb’ Mo’ on Saturday, Februrary 4 at 8pm. The center is located at 10950 SW 211 Street in Cutler Bay, FL. Tickets are $35, $25, $15 ($5 tickets CultureShockmiami.com for ages 13-22). $5 off orchestra level seats for students, seniors and active military service members. For tickets call 786-573-5300 or visit http://www.smdcac.org/.

The Reflection is the first new studio album by Keb’ Mo’ since Suitcase in 2006. These twelve songs are the product of an important period of personal and professional growth for the artist formerly known as Kevin Moore. In that time, he started a new family; moved from Los Angeles to Nashville; built a state–of–the–art home studio, and founded his own label, Yolabelle International, distributed by Ryko and the Warner Music Group.

Keb’ Mo’ is a three-time Grammy Award winner for Best Contemporary Blues Album; and a key figure in the acclaimed 2003 PBS series Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues. But The Reflection is not, in essence, a blues album. In sound and spirit, it’s closer to the work of African-American "folk soul" singer/songwriters like Bill Withers, Bobby

Womack, and Terry Callier.

Indeed, tracks like "My Shadow" and "Crush On You" would have fit neatly into Urban radio’s "Quiet Storm" format at almost any time during the past 25 years. The Reflection

brings together all of this singular artist's diverse influences – pre-disco R&B, American folk and gospel, rock, blues, and more – in a sound that is truly and uniquely his own.

"I worked on this record for the better part of two years," says Keb’. "It took me some time as this was an educational process for me and my engineer John Schirmer. I didn’t

want to let it go until I had something that I was proud to share with the public. It’s the culmination of all of my influences throughout my career."

Through all the changes of the past several years, Keb’ Mo’ found time to play a couple of hundred shows on several continents. He composed and recorded music for the acclaimed TNT series "Memphis Beat," starring Jason Lee and Alfre Woodward.

And he wrote some of the best songs of his career for The Reflection – material strong enough to attract such notable guests as country music superstar Vince Gill ("My Baby’s Tellin’ Lies"),nouveau–soul chanteuse India Arie ("Crush On You"), saxophonist Dave Koz ("One Of These Nights"), and veteran session guitarist David T. Walker ("All The Way," "The Reflection," "The Whole Enchilada").

UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

· Jan 26: Band of the United States Air Force Reserve Feb 18: Evidence, A Dance Company - On Earth Together, with music by Stevie Wonder

· Feb 4: Keb Mo

· Feb 23: The Langston Hughes Project “Ask your Mama” 12 Moods for Jazz, performed by The Ron McCurdy Quartet W/ Multimedia

· March 17: James Cotton, "Superharp"

· March 31: Abraham.In.Motion - Kyle Abraham, Artistic Director

· April 21: Turtle Island Quartet - A Love Supreme, The Music of John Coltrane

The South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, designed by an internationally-acclaimed design

team that includes Arquitectonica International, Inc. (architects), Fisher Dachs Associates,

Inc. (theater design), Artec Consultants, Inc. (acoustics), and AMS Planning & Research

Corp. (theater management), provides, for the first time, a state-of-the-art cultural venue and

community gathering place in the southern part of Miami-Dade County.

The Center features prominent works of art created by Miami artist Robert Chambers who

was commissioned by Miami-Dade County’s Art in Public Places program to design a kinetic

light wall and sculptures for the theater. The Center is an integral part of the economic and

cultural development of the area, offering quality artistic programming and community

accessibility.

The South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center is managed by the Miami-Dade County

Department of Cultural Affairs, with funding support from the Office of the Miami-Dade

County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. The Center is dedicated to presenting

and supporting arts and culture and providing access to the arts to the entire Miami-Dade

County community.

About the Building

South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center serves as a showcase for the performing and media arts, welcoming people from all backgrounds and economic means. The facility includes 966 seat state-of-the- art theater, which features a fly tower, orchestra pit, front of house spaces (box office, lobby, concessions, etc.) and back of house support spaces (dressing rooms, storage and work areas, administrative offices, etc.). The site also includes an activities building which houses lab / experimental theaters, and may be used for classrooms, rehearsals, and small-scale performances. A beautiful outdoor plaza allows for festivals, art shows, and other outdoor activities. The concert lawn “back yard” slopes to the Black Creek Canal, and can host outdoor concerts, performances and events.

The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council develop cultural excellence, diversity and participation throughout Miami-Dade County by strategically creating and promoting opportunities for artists and cultural organizations, and our residents and visitors who are their audiences. The Department directs the Art in Public Places program and its board, the Art in Public Places Trust, commissioning, curating, maintaining and promoting the County’s award-winning public art collection. Through staff, board and programmatic resources, the Department, the Council and the Trust promote, coordinate and support Miami-Dade County’s more than 1,000 not-for-profit cultural organizations as well as thousands of resident artists through grants, technical assistance, public information and interactive community planning. The Department receives funding through the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust, the National Endowment for the Arts, the State of Florida through the Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Other support and services are provided by TicketWeb for the Culture Shock Miami program, the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the South Florida Cultural Consortium and the Tourist Development Council.

------------------------

JP Soars's 2011 Release Makes TOP 60 Ranking at Smokestack Lightnin' Blues Radio

2012-01-23T08:54:00.003-05:00

From the New Blues Capital of the American South

http://www.smokestacklightnin.com/
Top 60 Blues CDs for 2011
#60 Kal David & Lauri Bono/I Idolize You [ike turner]/Crossroads Of My Life/Crytone

#59 Nick Moss/It’ll Turn Around/Here I Am/Blue Bella

#58 Jackie Johnson/Clean Up Woman/Memphis Jewel/Catfood

#57 Michael Powers/I Miss Your Kissin’/Revolutionary Boogie/Zoho

#56 Johnny Rawls/Blind Crippled & Crazy/Memphis Still Got Soul/Catfood

#55 E.G. Kight & Tommy Talton/That’s How A Woman Loves/Lip Service/Blue South

#54 David Gogo/The Changeling/Soul Bender/Cordova Bay

#53 Soul Of John Black/Good Thang/Good Thang/Yellow Dog

#52 Gina Sicilia/Members Only/Can’t Control Myself/Vizztone

#51 Roomful of Blues/Kill Me/Hook Line & Sinker/Alligator

#50 Michael Burks/VooDoo Spell/Alligator Records Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Review/Alligator

#49 Quintis McCormick Blues Band/You Just Using Me/Put It On Me/Delmark

#48 Matt Schofield/See Me Through/Anything But Time/Nugene

#47 Michael Terry/Too Bad/Too Bad/Victoria

#46 Marcia Ball/Mule Headed Man/Roadside Attractions/Alligator

#45 Kilborn Alley/Rents House Boogie/Four/Blue Bella

#44 Omar Coleman/Scratch My Back/West Side Wiggle/Honeybee

#43 Harmonica Shah/Who’s The Fool?/Live At The Cove/Electro Fi

#42 Maria Muldaur/Rain Down Tears/Steady Love/Stony Plain

#41 Ana Popovic/Business As Usual/Unconditional/Eclecto Groove

#40 Slim & The Igor Prado Band/Brazilian Kicks/Delta Groove

#39 Demetria & Eddie Shaw/Goin’ Back To Mississippi/Bad Girl/Delmark

#38 Chris Bell and 100% Blues/The Devil, My Guitar & Me/The Devil, My Guitar & Me/

#37 John Mays/I Found A Love/I Found A Love/Electro Fi

#36 Warren Haynes/Take A Bullet/Man In Motion/Stax

#35 Jimmie Vaughan/What Makes You So Tough?/Jimmie Vaughan Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites/Shout Factory

#34 Jim Byrnes/Take Out Some Insurance On Me /Everywhere West/Black Hen

#33 Sugar Ray & The Bluetones and Monster Mike Welch/I Like What You Got/Evening/Severn

#32 Moreland & Arbuckle/Good Love/Just A Dream/Telarc

#31 Johnny Winter & Warren Haynes/Done Somebody Wrong [elmore james]/Roots/Megaforce

#30 Gregg Allman, Doyle Bramhall, Dr. John/Blind Man//Low Country Blues/Rounder

#29 Kenny Wayne Shepherd/Yer Blues [lennon mccartney]/How I Go/Roadrunner

#28 Johnny Sansone, Anders Osborne/Sinking Ship/The Lord Is Waiting & The Devil Is Too/Shortstack

#27 Cash Box Kings/That’s My Gal/Holler & Stomp/Blind Pig

#26 Steve Miller Band, Norton Buffalo/Just A Little Bit/ Let Your Hair Down/Roadrunner

#25 Ruff Kutt Blues Band, Michael Schaefer, Anson Funderburg/ Drown On Dry Land/Mill Block Blues/KMP

#24 George Thorogood & The Destroyers/Spoonful [c.patton-willie ]/2120 S. Michigan Ave./Capitol EMI

#23 Studebaker John & The Maxwell Kings/Headin’ Down To Maxwell St./That’s The Way You Do/Delmark

#22 Homemade Jamz Blues Band/Gotta Bad Bad Feeling/The Game/self

#21 The Bo-Keys, Otis Clay/Got To Get Back (To My Baby)/Got To Get Back/Redeye

#20 JP Soars/So Many Times/More Bees With Honey/Soars High

#19 Ian Siegal & The Youngest Sons/Devil’s In The Detail/The Skinny/Nugene

#18 John-Alex Mason/Write me A Few Of Your Lines [ fred mcdowell]/Jook Joint Thunderclap/Naked Jaybird

#17 Rod Piazza & The Almighty Flyers, Johnny Dyer/Loving Man/Almighty Dollar/Delta Groove

#16 Tab Benoit, Anders Osborne/Nothing Takes The Place Of You/Medicine/Telarc

#15 Barry Levenson, Johnny Dyer/One For Muddy/The Late Show/Ripcat

#14 Duke Robillard/Quicksand [guitar slim]/Lowdown & Tore Up/Stony Plain

#13 Rory Block/Worried Mind/Shake ‘Em On Down: A Tribute To Fred McDowell/Stony Plain

#12 Trampled Under Foot/Get It Straight/Wrong Side Of The Blues/TUF

#11 Paul Oscher/Robin Lee/Bet On The Blues/Blues Fidelity

#10 Joe Bonamassa/Slow Train/Dust Bowl/J&R Adventures

#9 Buddy Guy, Carlos Santana/Where The Blues Begins/Living Proof/Silvertone

#8 Eric Gales/Sometimes Wrong Feels Right/Transformation/BBI

#7 Marquise Knox/You Better Pray/Here I Am/APO

#6 Tedeschi Trucks Band/Learn How To Love/Revelator/Sony Masterworks

#5 Roy Gaines/Inflation Blues/Tuxedo Blues/Black Gold

#4 Eli Cook/Snake Charm/Ace Jack & King/self

#3 Etta James/Misty Blue/The Dreamer/Verve Forecast

#2 Beth Hart, Joe Bonamassa/Don’t Explain [billi holiday]/Don’t Explain/J&R Adventures

#1 John Primer, Matthew Skoller, Billy Flynn/Chicago Bound/Chicago Blues: A Living History-The Revolution Continues/Raisin

Smokestack Lightnin' features the very best New Blues and newly reissued Classic Blues, Adult R&B, Adult Soul, Blues Rock, Zydeco Blues, and Gospel. Although the show is predominately music, hosts Paul Newnum, Tommy Thompson, Marvin Rooks and Rob McKinney frequently dispense brief gems of information about the music and these great musicians.

--------

JAMS to host Jazz Piano Great Ted Rosenthal in West Palm Beach

2012-01-23T08:10:00.000-05:00

Jazz Arts Music Society (JAMS) Concert Series

Tuesday, January 24 at 8 p.m.

featuring

THE TED ROSENTHAL TRIO

http://tedrosenthal.com/

Ted Rosenthal is one of the leading jazz pianists of

his generation. He has performed worldwide as a

soloist, leader and sideman with many jazz greats,

including Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Phil Woods,

Bob Brookmeyer, James Moody and the

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

Upcoming Concerts

· Feb 28: Jackie Ryan

· March 22: Claudio Roditi

· April 24: Angela Hagenbach

The Harriet Himmel Theater
700 S. Rosemary Ave.
, CityPlace
West Palm Beach FL 33401www.cityplace.com

Tickets: $35; call 1- 877- 722- 2820 to order tickets

or visit

www.JAMSociety.org

for tickets or membership information.

Admission is free to JAMS members

NOTE: All concerts are held on Tuesdays EXCEPT

when noted otherwise

All concerts begin at 8 pm
Theater lobby opens at 7 pm
Open seating
Tickets on sale now in advance and at the door.
We accept checks, cash or major credit cards
Programs subject to change without refunds

-----------------------------------------
Posted by Jazz & Blues Floridawww.JazzBluesFlorida.com
Please visit http://www.jazzbluesflorida.com/ to sign up to have
Florida's jazz & blues news delivered to your inbox.
And, if you like what you see here, HIT THAT FACEBOOK SHARE BUTTON below!
Thanks!

Famous Florida Musician Facts - Continued: Nat & Cannonball Adderly

2012-01-22T21:20:00.000-05:00

Adderly, Julian (“Cannonball“)
Famed alto saxophonist, originally from Tampa, graduate of Florida A&M in Tallahassee. Worked with Oscar Pettiford, Miles Davis (alongside tenor man John Coltrane) and Nancy Wilson. Recorded own albums for Savoy, Riverside, EmArcy, and Capitol. Had a top 40 instrumental hit, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” in 1966, written by pianist/sideman Joe Zawinul.

Adderly, Nat
Renowned jazz trumpeter, younger sibling of Cannonball Adderly, also grad of FAMU. Worked with Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman Orchestra and Cannonball Adderly’s sextet; formed own group after Cannonball’s death in 1975. Recorded for Savoy, Riverside, EmArcy, Jazzland, Atlantic, Milestone, A&M, Prestige, Steeplechase and Galaxy Records.

14TH ANNUAL MEDICAL MARIJUANA BENEFIT CONCERT AT REVOLUTION LIVE HOSTED BY NORML OF FLORIDA & PLOPPY PALACE PRODUCTIONS

2012-01-22T06:32:00.000-05:00

On Sunday, February 19, 2012, NORML of Florida, Ploppy Palace Productions and Revolution Live will be hosting the 14th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert to raise funds for NORML of Florida (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), The Silver Tour, Patients Out of Time and the PUFMM (People United For Medical Marijuana) medical marijuana campaign to protect patients’ rights. Currently there is a statewide campaign to change the medical marijuana laws in Florida that includes legislation in the Florida House and Senate (a first in 30 years!) as well as a statewide petition drive. As part of this three stage extravaganza, some of South Florida's top bands, spoken word artists and community activists will join together for patients’ and physicians’ right to use medical cannabis.

As a testament to the diversity of supporters for this cause, there will be a broad variety of musical styles including jazz, blues, rock, reggae, folk, hip-hop, funk, experimental, tribal rhythms, flamenco, traditional Peruvian, world beat fusion, psychedelic grooves and various interactive jams.

Grammy Award Winner - Cyril Neville, Johnny Dread, The Spam Allstars, Sweetbone, Crazy Fingers, Ephniko, JP Soars, Gypsy Cat, The Funky Nuggets, Nag Champayons, Sigmund Floyd, Kuyayky, The Tribe, Rhythm Flow, The Int’l Language, Smokin' Pianos with Kiki Sanchez & Fudakochi, Jam I Am, Omine, Ellen Bukstel, Valerie C. Wisecracker, Teri Catlin, Orrin Bolton, Steve Minotti, Lonesome Grey, Anglo Sax, Mr Grim Reapa, Immortals and more will be showcasing original music.

Alonso, Rebecca “Butterfly” Vaughns, Soulflower, Raven, Martian Ambassador, Bishop Makalani-MaHee, Benjamin Shahoulian and other spoken word artists will be presenting innovative spoken word poetry with musical accompaniment.

In addition, Elviza, Symphony, Stacy Oh, Lili Barrera, Marie Insua, Sofia Luna and other dancers will be performing a variety of dance and movement pieces to energetic, rhythmic percussion and ambient tones.
Coconut Grove Jugglers Exchange will be juggling various items and entertaining the crowds with a festival vibe.

Yvonne Gougelet will be presenting an interactive performance art piece with a medical marijuana theme.
Gabriel Orenstein will be showcasing a special marijuana activist video that will be projected during the show.

Plus Anibal Fernandez, Linx and other creative artists will be rendering a live painting demonstration to visually complement the music.

Irvin Rosenfeld and Elvy Musikka, legal medical marijuana patients and Directors for Patients Out Of Time, will be describing their experiences with obtaining medical marijuana through the federal government.
The 14th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert will also feature a selection of community speakers who will present information about the issues including South Miami City Commissioner Walter Harris, Artie Kornfeld - author, music producer and organizer of Woodstock, Dante Trevisani of the American Civil Liberties Union of Greater Miami, Michael Minardi P.A., Shawn Heller from the Florida Justice Institute, Robert Platshorn - author and speaker for The Silver Tour, Eric Stevens from the Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy, Angel Hernandez from Americans for Safe Access, Jayne King from the Florida Green Party, Steve Berke - former Miami Beach mayoral candidate, comedian & video activist, representatives of PUFMM, NORML of Florida and other concerned citizens.

NORML of Florida, The Silver Tour, PUFMM, Patients Out Of Time, ACLU of Greater Miami and various other organizations will have informational booths with literature and handouts to help educate about community issues and the medical marijuana campaign in Florida.

The event will work to raise funds and awareness for NORML of Florida, The Silver Tour, Patients Out of Time and the PUFMM medical marijuana campaign to protect patients’ rights. Previously, a person's right to use medical necessity as a defense to marijuana charges has been upheld by several appeals courts in Florida. Marijuana has proven therapeutically useful in treating numerous medical conditions including muscle spasticity, arthritis, MS, and the nausea related to AIDS and cancer chemotherapy. In 2010, the City of South Miami passed a resolution to support medical marijuana on a statewide and national level - this is the first city in Florida to endorse the issue. Currently there are companion bills to reform medical marijuana laws in the Florida House of Representatives (HJR 353) and the Florida Senate (HR 1983) - this is a first in 30 years - we are encouraging people to contact their elected officials and have them endorse these bills. At the moment, there are 16 states that have laws allowing marijuana to be used as medicine.

In addition there will be vendors and small businesses promoting and selling their merchandise, including The Wallflower Gallery, Between Spirit & Stone Jewelry, Progressive Rags, Shamanic Harmonics, Shiva Gear, 2-Dye-4, Man With The Magic Hands - Jeff Brown LMT, Awesome Rockin’ Massage by Kelly Cordova LMT and selected independent corporations

Production support provided by Ploppy Palace Productions, Lovestruck Productions, Event Rhythm Management and 7th Circuit Studios.

The 14th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert at Revolution Live is currently looking for supportive sponsors and unique vendors to help to build up the community outreach and contribute to the cause.
The 14th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert at Revolution Live is sponsored by NORML of Florida, Ploppy Palace Productions, Lovestruck Productions, SFGN, Wildman Steve Radio, Miami Music Television, Sam Ash Music, Shiva Gear, Artists for Community Evolution and other supportive businesses.

Sunday, February 19, 2012
4:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m.
Revolution Live
200 W Broward Blvd. Fort Lauderdale 33312
954-449-1025
http://www.jointherevolution.net/
18 and older with ID
Minors allowed with an adult
Admission is $ 18.
VIP Tickets for $50!
DISCOUNT Advance tickets available at http://www.ploppypalace.com/
www.facebook.com/ploppypalace
For more information, please email Ploppy Palace Productions at events@ploppypalace.com or contact NORML of Florida at NORMLFlorida@gmail.com
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Miami Saxophone Quartet to Perform January 30, 2012 in Coral Gables Florida

2012-01-22T00:19:00.001-05:00

"Infectiously joyful arrangements, soulful improvisations,

fine musical prowess, and four of the finest saxophone

players in the business - the Miami Saxophone Quartet."

Dave Martin - WUCF FM Orlando, FL

January 30, 2012

Miami Saxophone Quartet

Gary Keller

Gary Lindsay

Ed Calle

Mike Brignola

Maurice Gusman Concert Hall

Frost School of Music at the University of Miami

1314 Miller Rd, Coral Gables, FL 33124 \

Tickets $15

(at the door and on day of concert)

Students $5 w/ID (door only)

Reservations/Info/Tickets http://www.miamijazzquartet.com/

or (305) 669-0203

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Posted by Jazz & Blues Floridawww.JazzBluesFlorida.com
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