A graduate of Atlanta’s Northside School of the Arts, Ms. Rabun is a busy lady. She has worked with R & B legend Issac Hayes, opened for Tony/Grammy winner Jennifer Holiday, and has performed in festivals in Hawaii, Japan, South Korea and throughout the U.S.  She is also an actress and a practicing attorney, with a JD from Boston College Law School. 

 In her current home of Raleigh, NC, Yolanda is the lead vocalist with the Stanley Baird Group, one of the top jazz organization in the Triangle Area. Now she has stepped out on her own with her debut CD So Real. The smooth-jazz disc has received good reviews and is making its way up the charts.

Ms. Rabun will get the last day of the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival off to a great start, kicking off her Piedmont Park Mainstage set at 3 pm. If you’re in the ATL, there’s no better way to spend Memorial Day.

For further information about Yolanda Rabun visit her website http://yolandarabun.com

The Atlanta Jazz Festival website is at http://atlantafestivals.com

Among the International Stage names that caught my eye were trumpeter Melvin Jones, who made a big impression during last years festival as he backed singer Audrey Shakir; Saunders Sermons is a very fine vocalist/trombonist; Ernest “EC3″ Coleman; a hard swinging drummer and Mace Hibbard, a strong saxophonist. Now that I look at the lineup, the International Stage would make for a damn fine festival, all by itself.

I’ve dropped the complete International Stage Schedule and a few video clips below. Check the clips out, then if you’re at the festival this weekend drop by the International Stage and check these artists out. You’re in for a pleasant surprise.

2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival International Stage Schedule

Saturday, May 26

• 2 pm – Tropical Breeze Steel Band
• 3:30 pm Andre Rievers
• 5 pm - Ernest EC3 Coleman (see video clip)
• 6:30 pm – Edy Martinez Jazz Orchestra

Sunday, May 27

• 2 pm – Mace Hibbard (see video clip)
• 3:30 pm – Laura Coyle Quintet (see video clip)
• 5 pm – Son Jazzy Orchestra
• 6:30 pm – Nadav Remez / Omer Avital Quintet

Monday, May 28

• 2 pm – Saunders Sermons
• 3:30 pm – Marea Alta
• 5 pm – Melvin Jones (see video clip)
• 6:30 pm – Mausiki Scales and the Common Ground Collective

For more info on the individual artists, click on their names to access their websites or Facebook pages, where available.

For more info on the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Fest, visit their website http://atlantafestivals.com

Tito Puente, Jr. is one of three cats in the world of music that I wouldn’t trade places with for anything.

The other two are Frank Sinatra, Jr. and Ravi Coltrane

By now, you get my point. These guys have chosen to make a living in a musical world where their fathers were not just legends, but transcendent figures. Not only that, they also all bear striking physical resemblances to their dads and they are practicing their art on the same instruments that made their fathers famous.  The younger Sinatra, with all due respect has wilted under the pressure. Whereas the other two are more than holding their own.

Puente, Jr., who turns 41 in early June, has fully embraced his legacy, as he now leads a band that joyously celebrates his dad by playing many of the songs that made Tito Puente a household name, in addition to some newer tunes that were composed for or by Tito, Jr.

The younger Puente is touchingly reverent about his father’s memory “People who don’t know anything about Latin music know my father and people always, always smile when they say my father’s name.  That is a very special gift I have been given.”

Tito Puente, Jr. will share that gift with us on Sunday night May 27, as he closes the second night of the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival with a show that starts at 9 pm. I don’t know if there will be a dance floor, but what the hell, we’ll just make our own!

Tito Puente, Jr.’s latest album is Got Mambo? on Salsalsa Records. You can find more information about him on his new official website http://gotmambo.com/

For further information about this year’s Atlanta Jazz Festival visit http://atlantafestivals.com

Lionel Loueke began playing percussion instruments around the age of 9, but was influenced by an older brother who played guitar, which he began playing himself in his late teens. It took Loueke a year to earn the $50 he needed to buy his first guitar. However, he could not afford to replace the strings which had to be special-ordered from Nigeria. Instead, he soaked his strings in vinegar to keep them clean. When the strings broke, he had to replace them with bicylce brake cables, which were very hard on his fingers.

Loueke got his first professional job by accident, when a club manager heard him playing a guitar he had grabbed off the bandstand during a break and offered him work. He played African pop music, but discovered jazz when a friend returned from Paris with a George Benson album. This inspired Loueke to study jazz in Paris. He then won a scholarship to study at Berklee.

In 2002 Loueke began playing with trumpeter Blanchard. Loueke was featured on two albums with Blanchard for Blue Note Records, Bounce and Flow. He subsequently has had a prolific career as a sideman. He has performed on jazz pianist Herbie Hancock’s albums Possibilities and River: The Joni Letters . In addition, Loueke has worked with a host of major jazz artists, from Wayne Shorter to Charlie Haden to Dianne Reeves and so many more.

Loueke’s unforgettable guitar, which mixes African traditions with samba and jazz and his captivating vocals have been captured on several solo albums, the most recent being Mwaliko on the Blue Note Label. However any of Loueke’s other albums, including Karibu, Virgin Forest and In a Trance are all worth acquiring. His third album for Blue Note Heritage, co-produced by Robert Glasper, is due out this August.

But I reiterate – seeing Lionel Loueke live is better than any of those albums. He will perform at 7 pm, this Sunday on the Atlanta Jazz Festival Mainstage. For further information about Mr. Loueke, visit his website http://www.lionelloueke.com/

For further information about all of the great 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival Performances go to http://atlantafestivals.com

 A graduate of the prestigious Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Genève, Grégoire moved to New York City to study at the New School University’s Jazz Department.  Today he is one of the most sought after harmonica players in the world. And yes, he has been often compared to Thielemans and to another guy who has been known to dabble in the mouth organ, Stevie Wonder.  Among the famous musicians he has played with are Youssou N’Dour, Me’ Shell Ndegeocello, Pete Seeger, David Sanborn, George Benson and Cassandra Wilson.

In 2005, Grégoire toured with Pat Metheny, receiving a Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for their album The Way Up.  He also won the Jazz Journalists Association’s Player of the Year Award. After his Grammy win, Maret embarked on a two-year tour with the world-class bassist Marcus Miller and subsequently joined Herbie Hancock’s band.

In March of this year, Mr. Maret released his first album as a leader, the eponymous Grégoire Maret. It features guest appearances by a number of notables; including  several members of Take 6, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Miller, Wilson, Mino Cinelu, Gretchen Parlato and Mr. Thielemans, in a lovely “passing of the torch” on Ivan Lins’ “O Amor E O Meu Pais”.

We’ll be treated to selections from Mr. Maret’s album and more during his Atlanta Jazz Festival Set. His Mainstage performance will begin at 5 pm on Sunday, May 27.  For more information on Grégoire Maret, visit his website http://www.GregoireMaret.com

For more information on the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival, go to http://atlantafestivals.com

“Haitian Music is, Song, Classical, Root, Dance, Contemporary, Traditional, Jazz and all musical genres originated from the Haitian soul. This variety constitute the Opera of our History.” - Mushy Widmaier

Mushy Widmaier has a fairly unique name and, for a jazz musician, a fairly unique background; as Mr. Widmaier, a keyboardist,  is of Haitian descent.  A mélange of influences can be heard in his playing, from the rhythms of his island roots, to the European masters he was taught about as a boy, to the modern jazz masters of this era, such as Herbie Hancock and McCoy Tyner.  These influences come together to create a sound that can be at once soothing yet energetic.

Mr. Widmaier has been a working musician since the late ’70′s, when he formed a jazz rock group with his brother, Joel.  He has been a mainstay of the Caribbean jazz scene, for the better part of three decades and since settling in South Florida, he has begun to make inroads in the States as well.

His latest album, My World is a beautiful blend of all of his influences, at times, it’s reminiscent of Pat Metheny’s work during the late ’80′s and early ’90′s.

You’ll get to experience the sound of Mushy Widmaier, which is perfect for a summer afternoon; as he opens Day 2 of the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival, on the Mainstage, Sunday, May 27, at 3 p.m., at Piedmont Park. Admission is, of course, free.

For further information about Mushy Widmaier and his music, visit his website http://www.mushywidmaier.com/

To find out more about what’s happening at the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival, go to http://atlantafestivals.com/

“Having good health, being able to breathe and be happy, that’s one of the most beautiful gifts. On top of that, I have the gift to play music and make people happy through that. I’m just telling you from my heart, I’m so in love with life”

About 15 years ago, my wife and I were boarding a plane from Nashville back to New York after attending a friend’s wedding. While in Nashville we had  bought t-shirts – mine was John Coltrane, hers, Miles Davis. As we boarded the flight, we encountered a rather boisterous group of brothers in our section. When they saw our shirts, they became even more boisterous “Ohhhhh look out now y’all, we got some heavy hitters sittin’ with us!!!”, said the oldest of the gentlemen; who had on some funky looking shades. The good-natured ribbing continued for a few minutes. As I looked at the cat with the funky shades, I whispered to my wife, “That guy looks familiar, I’ve seen him somewhere before”. 

He then took the shades off and became deadly serious.  He said to me “Trane was the man, bro…he was the man…” He shook his head in a gentle awe and was transported  to another place, clearly hearing those sheets of sound in his head.  But this seemed like it wasn’t just a memory of a recording, like my Trane moments. No; this cat had the look of someone who had been there and experienced Coltrane in person.

I knew by now that he had to be somebody.  I was dying to ask the cat who he was, but I didn’t want to embarrass myself by admitting that I didn’t know him. 

I went to the rest room during the flight. I had decided that on the way back to my seat, I was going to ask this man who he was.  However, by the time I returned, the cat with the funky shades was asleep. I wasn’t going to wake him just to satisfy my curiosity.

The cat and his crew got off before us in New York and disappeared into the La Guardia throng. As my wife and I drove home, I was still curious about this man’s identity.

I didn’t have to wait long to find out. As I opened the mailbox to collect what had been left over our long weekend, the latest issue of one of the major jazz publications was in the box. Staring back at me, in a full-page ad on the inside cover was, you guessed it, the cat with the funky shades…Roy Ayers.

Roy Ayers is a legend of jazz funk; adored by hundreds of thousands of fans, sampled over the years by countless hip-hop artists and unfortunately, sneered at by a handful of jazz purists who have no use for his brand of fusion. 

Let them sneer all they want, but know this, Roy Ayers is no Kenny G.  Roy Ayers has paid his dues. Roy Ayers has influenced and inspired many who have come along after him.

Ayers got his first vibraphone mallets from Lionel Hampton at age five.  He broke in as a part of the thriving straight ahead jazz scene on Los Angeles’ Central Avenue in the early sixties, playing alongside L.A. heavyweights such as Curtis Amy and Jack Wilson, so yes, when Roy Ayers spoke of Trane, he knew what he was talking about, first hand.  In the mid ’60′s, Ayers joined forces with Herbie Mann and Gerald Wilson to produce some strong mainstream and soul-jazz records.  If you ever get a chance, check out Virgo Vibes and Stoned Soul Picnic, two early Ayers albums on Atlantic Records.

Then came the 70′s and Roy Ayers, the jazz-funk legend was born. Ubiquity…Coffy… Mystic Voyage… and the list goes on. Then in the 80′s came his work alongside seminal Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, introducing Ayers to a worldwide audience.  With the rise of hip-hop sampling in the late 80′s and early 90′s Ayers became a hero to another generation; the hip-hop deejays and producers who began to sample a lot of Ayers’ killer 70′s grooves.  Roy Ayers was now reborn as the “Godfather of Acid Jazz”. He has worked steadily ever since, attracting audiences that cross generational and cultural lines.

So at 71, Roy Edward Ayers, Jr., the cat on the plane with the funky shades, has no need to explain himself to anyone, fan or critic.  What he still wants to do is perform music from his catalog of five decades and entertain his fans, including the couple in the Miles and Trane t-shirts. And we’ll bring along our son, another generation of Ayers fan. We’ll be there when he closes out the first night of the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival, we hope you will too.

Roy Ayers is scheduled to perform at the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Fest in Piedmont Park; on Saturday, May 26, 2012, at 9 p.m. Admission is free.

For further information about Roy Ayers, visit his website at www.royayers.net

For further information about the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival, visit their website at http://atlantafestivals.com/

Being a few hundred miles up the road, in Charlotte, I admit that until recently, I was also unfamiliar with Ms. Bertrand. But after hearing her most recent album, Katharsis, released in 2011, I join my singer friend in praising Kathleen Bertrand’s vocal gifts.  She has released four albums to date, on which she tackles a variety of tunes – from the Great American Songbook, to gospel, to R & B classics and even Christmas standards, all in an inviting husky alto voice that is unique and memorable.

Ms. Bertrand is an Atlanta native and Spelman College graduate. She has performed at two Olympiads and for two U.S. Presidents, before taking some time away to raise her family.  Since returning to the music scene, she has performed at twice at the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival and four times at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, prior to 2012.  She has opened for a wealth of artists, ranging from Ray Charles to Najee, to the man who will follow her at the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Fest, Roy Ayers.

Ms. Bertrand is also a prolific songwriter, having penned songs such as “Date Night”, from her latest album, which was inspired by President and Mrs. Obama and their efforts to keep their “dating” tradition going, even with the pressures of being the nation’s first family.  Kathleen also wrote a bouncy Samba influenced tune, called “Jazz in Piedmont Park”, a tribute to the AJF and the other jazz artists that you hear in the park.

Kathleen Bertrand is scheduled to appear at the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival main stage on Saturday, May 26 at 7 pm. She has a prime spot, following Cyrus Chestnut and preceding Mr. Ayers.  With her talent and this judicious placement on the schedule, perhaps Ms. Bertrand’s star will shine not only in Atlanta, but all over the jazz world.

For further information concerning Ms. Bertrand and her albums, please visit her website: www.kathleenbertrand.com

For further information about the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival, visit the festival’s website: http://atlantafestivals.com/

Reblogged from Curt's Jazz Cafe:

• 

My mother loved life and lived it joyously.  She loved to be around people, she loved to laugh and though she didn’t do it very well, she loved to sing. I still remember the sound of Mom’s singing voice as she was in the kitchen or at her sewing machine.  However, even when I was a child, her singing sounded unusual to me.

Read more… 327 more words

I posted this last Mother's Day and I felt that it was time to revive it. Happy Mother's Day to all!

Dr. Andrews will be followed by the Cyrus Chestnut Trio. Mr. Chestnut has held a prominent position in the jazz piano world ever since he captured public imagination with his Atlantic Records debut Revelation, back in 1994.  Though Chestnut does not carry Dr. Andrews’ pastoral credentials, Chestnut’s playing has always had a very strong gospel influence, because of his deep church roots.  He has even included a non-secular track or two on most of his albums. In 2009, he went all the way, releasing the beautiful Spirit, a solo piano album of gospel tunes.  Last year, he returned to the trio format with Journeys.  His latest release is his first pure quartet date. It’s called, appropriately, The Cyrus Chestnut Quartet; it features the terrific young saxophonist, Stacy Dillard.

Mr. Chestnut and his trio are scheduled to hit the AJF mainstage at 5 p.m. I’ve seen him live a number of times and I’ve never been disappointed, he plays a bop/blues/gospel hybrid that is second to none.  If you’re planning on catching the Atlanta Jazz Festival on Saturday, May 26, make sure to get there in time for Cyrus Chestnut. He’ll leave you with a smile on your face and joy in your heart.

For further information about the 2012 Atlanta Jazz Festival, visit their website at http://atlantafestivals.com/