Monday, May 18, 2009

All About Jazz and The Jazz Session Announce Partnership



World's Top Jazz Website Teams with Top Jazz Podcast 18 MAY 2009 -- AllAboutJazz.com has joined forces with the popular jazz interview show The Jazz Session to bring high-quality interviews with jazz musicians to a wider audience.

"Jason Crane and I have worked together for several years and closely aligning our two properties makes perfect sense as we move forward," said All About Jazz founder and publisher Michael Ricci. "AAJ already publishes weekly interviews, and including The Jazz Session to our roster will raise the entertainment value at the website and further add to our already impressive coverage of jazz."

"There aren't many people doing in-depth audio interviews with jazz musicians," said Jason Crane, host and producer of The Jazz Session. "On The Jazz Session, we focus on the music and also the stories behind the music. And we let the musicians do most of the talking. I'm very excited to bring the show to All About Jazz, and integrate what I do with their weekly Monday feature. The Jazz Session and All About Jazz are a very good fit.

"The partnership launches with South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela. Masekela had a chart hit in the 1960s with his tune, "Grazin' In The Grass," and his career spans five decades. Upcoming shows will feature vibraphonist Gary Burton, vocalist Claudia Acuna, bandleader Arturo O'Farrill, and pianist and songwriter Dave Frishberg.Crane has taken The Jazz Session to the Rochester International Jazz Festival in Rochester, NY, and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival in Lenox, MA. He and Ricci plan to increase the show's profile at festivals across the country, starting with a return to the Tanglewood Jazz Festival this summer."Our idea is conduct interviews right in front of the same crowds who show up to listen to the music. Then those interviews will be online, so even if you can't make it to the festival, you can feel like you were there."


About All About Jazz

AllAboutJazz.com is the leading and longest running jazz music website, attracting both enthusiasts and industry professionals while reaching nearly one million unique visitors per month.

A daily resource of impressive depth and breadth, AllAboutJazz.com publishes and syndicates a variety of jazz-oriented content and is the only jazz website capable of serving geo-targeted advertisements and news.

As a social enterprise, AllAboutJazz.com is committed to raising the awareness of jazz's cultural significance and historical legacy while playing an essential role in promoting the creative leaders of today.

AllAboutJazz.com is a 7-time winner of the prestigious Jazz Journalist Association award, and is the highest ranked jazz website according to Alexa.com, Quantcast.com, Google, Yahoo and Ask.com. All About Jazz is an AOL Music Network partner and its content appears weekly at Spinner.com.

About The Jazz Session

The Jazz Session, is a weekly jazz interview show hosted and produced by jazz broadcaster Jason Crane. The online show has seen well over 200,000 downloads of its 60 episodes. The show features interviews with jazz masters such as Sonny Rollins and Chico Hamilton, along with musicians from more recent generations such as the trio Fly, Kate McGarry, John Ellis = 13644 and Jason Moran.

Vocalist J.D. Walter Interviewed at AAJ


J.D. Walter is a jazz singers' singer--a purist and an innovator. Although his style has been compared to many vocal titans, it is in the same breath, uniquely his own, and he has become a singular phenomenon on the music scene.

Walter has thus far recorded five CDs as a leader and co-leader and has attracted an international audience from the shores of America to Europe, Russia, and the Far East. He is also a featured member of pianist Orrin Evans' Luv Park Band (Imani Records, 2004), as well as making guest appearances on numerous other recordings.

AAJ Contributor Victor L. Schermer spoke with Walter about his unique approach to singing, his varied musical influences, and where he see himself going in the near future.

Check out J.D. Walter: Being a Verb at AAJ today!

Industry Professional? Bookmark the AAJ PRO page

All About Jazz has developed a convenient page for industry pros to quickly access forms and reports at AAJ as well as handy links to other relevant jazz sites, blogs and resources around the internet.



Bookmark AAJ PRO

Saxophonist David Sanborn Interviewed at AAJ

Saxophonist David Sanborn is one of the most recognizable instrumentalists in modern music. From his many television appearances--on his own show, Night Moves, and with David Letterman's band--to his popular records and tours, Sanborn is among the few names in jazz that non-jazzheads can recognize.

In 2008, Sanborn released Here & Gone (Decca, 2008), an album that pays tribute to saxophonist {{Hank Crawford = 5970}}, who was a key part of the {{Ray Charles = 5648}} band through many of its greatest years. Crawford inspired Sanborn to play the saxophone, and it's fitting that Sanborn is now using his notoriety to shed a little light on an under-appreciated jazz master.

AAJ Contributor and host of the popular The Jazz Session series of podcasts, spoke with Sanborn about the making of Here & Gone and pushing oneself to new places after decades on the bandstand

Check out David Sanborn: Sound and Silence at AAJ today!

New ECM Group Cyminology Interviewed at AAJ

After forming in 2002, Berlin-based Cyminology has been exploring the rich musical territory bound by the backgrounds of members Cymin Samawatie, pianist Benedikt Jahnel, drummer Ketan Bhatti and bassist Ralf Schwarz. Holding the foursome's unique tapestry of styles together is Samawatie's vocal and compositional work, built around classical Persian poetry, as well as her own writing.

The band began forging its sound after Samawatie started exploring her Iranian musical heritage. Moved by the power of the Persian music and poetry, Samawatie discovered new directions to pursue in her melodies. The elemental sounds of her Farsi lyrics, combined with the band's grounding in modern jazz styles, led to recognition and a host of awards for Cyminology, including winning the Jazz and Blues Award Berlin in 2004 and 2006, and the New Generation international jazz competition in 2003.

Now signed with ECM, As Ney delves further into the soundscapes Samawatie has written for the poems of Rumi, Hafiz and Forough Farrokhzad.

AAJ Contributor John Patten spoke with Samawatie about the evolution of the band, the differences recording with ECM's Manfred Eicher, and the roots of inspiration in his enlightening interview, Cyminology: Exploring New Compositional Frontiers, up at AAJ today.

You can also read John Kelman's review of As Ney.

Check out AAJ's coverage of this remarkable multicultural group today!

Download Three Free MP3s by Trumpeter Jon Hassell

Learn more about Jon Hassell, then download three free tracks (see below), including one from his latest release Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street on ECM Records. Enjoy!


Free MP3 Downloads

Power Spot
Jon Hassell
Power Spot
7:07
Maarifa Street
Jon Hassell
Maarifa Street: Magic Realism 2
7:08
Last Night the Moon Came
Jon Hassell
Last night the moon came dropping its clothes in the street
8:16

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Flugelhorn Legend Hugh Masekela Interviewed at AAJ



"I think it is incumbent, not just on every artist, but every person who has as their source communities that are disadvantaged, to give back," says Hugh Masekela, antiapartheid champion, friend of the downtrodden and musician extraordinaire who is still going strong at the age of 70. "If you don't give back, I think you end up somewhere down the line looking at yourself in a mirror that will eventually crack."

He's spent his life doing just that. Playing his flugelhorn with force and finesse, he's traveled the world spreading a message of concern for those around the globe--especially in Africa--who are under duress and oppression. He grew up in the apartheid of South Africa, but spent time going to music school in London and New York City, getting a chance to meet some of his musical jazz heroes in the process. But he never stopped caring about his countrymen back home and his zealous passion for freedom for all people--not just governmental freedom, but freedom from poverty and the feeling of hopelessness.

Veteran AAJ Contributor R.J. DeLuke spoke with Masekela about his new album, Phola (Time Square Records, 2009), the difficulties that apartheid imposed on his life and career, and the African heritage that imbues his music, no matter where he is.

Check out Hugh Masekela: Strength in Music and Character at AAJ today!

Monday, May 4, 2009

Trumpeter/Composer Jon Hassell Interviewed at AAJ... Free Downloads!

He may well be one of the most insidious influences in modern music. Trumpeter, composer and deep thinker Jon Hassell may not have the same name recognition as, say, Miles Davis, but his unmistakable approach to music--he calls it Fourth World music--has affected musicians around the globe, ranging from now friend/co-conspirator Brian Eno, British post-rock crooner David Sylvian and singer/songwriter Tim Elsenburg (aka Sweet Billy Pilgrim), to jazz-centric artists including trumpeters Arve Henriksen, Nils Petter Molær and Matthias Eick, as well as guitarist Eivind Aarset, and samplers/producers Jan Bang and Erik Honoré.

This week All About Jazz is providing the most comprehensive coverage anywhere of Jon Hassell and his latest recording for ECM, Last night the moon came and dropped its clothes in the street (2009):

For even more coverage, go to NPR's World Cafe, broadcasting out of Philadelphia, on May 6, 2009, to hear Jon Hassell's live performance and interview. It goes live at 4:00 PM EST and will be archived for streaming so you can tune in anytime.

AAJ strives to provide the most extensive, in-depth coverage on the web, so be sure to check out all the buzz surrounding Jon Hassell at AAJ this week!