Last night, President Obama awarded Stevie Wonder the Library of Congress George Gershwin Award at a private event at the Whitehouse. Mr. Wonder’s massive body of work has become a significant addition to the standard jazz repertoire. I might even go as far as to say that he is one of the greatest and most influencial songwriters of American Popular Song, and in my opinion deserves to be mentioned among names such as Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and John Lennon & Paul McCartney.

Here is an article from musicradar.com by Ben Rogerson entitled “5 Reasons Why Stevie Wonder Deserves His Gershwin Award.“

I will be performing with drummer and composer Jose Cochez’s new group “Bob Hope was a Pedophile,” (Don’t ask me!)on Friday December 5th. The festivities start around 8pm and there will be food and libations. The music is composed mainly by Jose, with some selections by cellist and composer Tom Kersey. The pieces are heavily improvised and draw from a vast group of musical influences.

Café Hey Celebrates One Year of ‘Prosperity’

We will be celebrating our one-year anniversary on Friday, December 5th starting 8pm with Prosperity, a celebration of art, music, and small business.

Over the past year the we’ve been laboring away in Downtown Tampa’s still-emerging North Franklin business district and have started to build a loyal following with out homemade menu items, organic free trade coffee, laid back atmosphere and cutting-edge art exhibitions.

Friday’s anniversary celebration features art and photography from Heather Forsyth, Irma Diaz, Cathy Hughes, Amanda Gahan, Nicole Sutherland, Christina Cedeno, Molly Malnic, and Bradley L’Herou, with music by D.J. Fuego, Hooker and the Cheap Hotels, Bob Hope Was a Pedophile, Various Others and Bill Johnston.

Passed on from Bob Seymore:

“In her first solo concert in the Tampa Bay Area, pianist Lynne Arriale will perform at Tampa’s historic Springs Theater on Sunday, November 23, at 3:00 PM.

Arriale’s recordings and live shows have earned her international critical acclaim, comparing her in stature to Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans and Ahmad Jamal. The New York Times said, “Lynne Arriale’s brilliant musicianship and bandstand instincts place her among the top jazz pianists of the day.” JazzTimes lauded her “flawless touch,” and “impeccable sense of complex rhythms” while the BBC Music Magazine raved about her “luminous tone and superlative melodic flair.”

Although the November 23 concert, presented by the Tampa Jazz Club, marks Arriale’s first solo performance in the Tampa Bay area, this Florida resident’s trio performances have been among the area’s outstanding jazz events at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival in the past. As noted in Jazz Week: “She pinpoints a song’s power, majesty, and soul simultaneously.”

In early 2009, Arriale releases a new CD/DVD on Motema Music, backed by a new trio of jazz icons featuring Randy Brecker, George Mraz and Anthony Pinciotti. Titled NUANCE, The Bennett Studio Sessions, the studio produced CD will be accompanied by a bonus DVD capturing the group’s debut live performance with a studio audience.

The Spring Theater is located at 8029 Nebraska Avenue. Tickets are $23, $18 for Jazz Society members and $5 for students, and will only be available at the venue on the day of the show. For further information, contact 813/915-0074. For additional information on Lynne Arriale, visit www.motema.com/lynnearriale, or www.lynnearriale.com.

Please contact cary@gomediapr.com for high res images or to schedule an interview with Lynne.”

The Forefront will be performing at the annual USF Winter Wonderland on December 4th at 9:00pm. It will be held on the USF Tampa campus right outside the. There will be music, dancing, a Christmas market, and other holiday festivities. The group will be playing some of it’s usual repertoire, and some new stuff, along with all of your Holiday favorites. We hope to see you all there!

Mark Turner, perhaps one of the most brilliant saxophonists of our time, recently sustained severe injuries to his fingers from a power saw accident. This is a horrifying thought for any musician. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers that he will have a complete and speedy recovery as he plays music for his livelihood.

Updates from Darcy James Argue and Aaron Parks.

© hansspeekenbrink.nl

Wayne Shorter Quartet featuring Brian Blade, John Patitucci, Danilo Perez and Imani Winds (1er juillet 2008 - Vienne France)

On Saturday, October 18, I will be performing at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday with the Ken Loomer Big Band. Here is an excerpt from the Band’s Bio: “The idea behind this band Ken states is to “First keep Jazz and Big Band Music Alive”, which is America’s greatest true art form, and having this music played by the best jazz musicians in the country. Many of the charts in the Ken Loomer Big Band are original arrangements, plus those done by Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Bob Mintzer and other famous big bands. The performance of this big band, driven by the consummate drummer Ken Loomer and his exciting musicians go through the repertoire of vital and brilliantly arranged contemporary music to produce a sound you will not forget!”

It should be a great concert and I hope to see you all there!

Where: Coachman Park, Clearwater FL

When: Saturday Oct. 18, 2008 3:45 - 5:00pm

How Much: Free!!!

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I am an avid reader of Seth Godin’s Blog and this recent post, really hit the nail on the head. As my quintet, The Forefront, will be releasing a record in early 2009, we have been plastering that all over everything that we can. However, Seth points out that this sounds so vague that is makes it seem further off than it actually is. It’s next year, in 2009. That seems distant, however it is only 3 months away. It is funny how our language can create illusions that can actually be detrimental to the message that we are trying to convey. Perhaps something like, “New Record Coming in 3 MONTHS!” would work?  Well I think I can work on that a bit. Check it out!

The Forefront will be performing a benefit concert at the University of South Florida on Monday, October 13th at 8:00pm. The proceeds will go to benefit the Sweet Home New Orleans Renew Our Music fund, and the Association for Jazz Education at the University of South Florida.

Where: Driving directions and USF Map
Located in Fine Arts - FAH 101
When: Monday, October 13th at 8:00pm
How much: Free, Donations Encouraged!

Sweet Home New Orleans Mission:
To perpetuate New Orleans’ culture by providing direct services to the individuals and institutions that will carry them forward.

What they do:
Sweet Home New Orleans is a non-profit agency that provides services to the city’s musicians, Mardi Gras Indians, and Social Aid & Pleasure Club members in the following areas:
– Case Management to help clients develop a plan for post-Katrina stability.
– Housing Assistance in the form of Relocation, Rent/Mortgage subsidies, and grants for Renovations.
– Advocacy for cash grants from partnering agencies, and other services such as pro-bono legal advice and financial literacy workshops.

Additionally, the Renew Our Music Program offers:
– Financial Assistance with bills, instrument repair, transportation, and other immediate need.
– Performance Subsidies including cultural education programs, second line parades, and gigs that stimulate local businesses and help artists get back to work.

New Orleans music, the root of the city’s identity and a driving force behind its economy, is an expression of a unique American culture perpetuated by approximately 4,500 men and women. These tradition bearers practice a functional art that unites and strengthens communities. For generations, they have transmitted this culture to family and neighbors. Since Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing flood, however, thousands in this community still struggle to access public assistance and lack the resources to rebuild their neighborhoods and their lives in a post-Katrina economy. The future of this culture depends on their return.

Fourteen service organizations from around the city and the country formed Sweet Home to help these artists become self-sufficient again, and in so doing, to secure the cultural continuity of New Orleans. Renew Our Music, founded as New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund just days after the storm, has provided direct aid to over 1,700 tradition bearers, including nearly $400,000 in three months following the flood. Now, as a program of Sweet Home New Orleans, Renew Our Music works toward long-term economic development for our clients.

Sweet Home New Orleans operates in the Treme neighborhood, steps from Congo Square, considered by many the birthplace of American music. These streets are the source of New Orleans’ characteristic rhythms, which drove the development of jazz and R&B. We are proud to support these indigenous traditions, and we invite you to join us as we expand our reach to ensure New Orleans’ unique culture continues to revive the city.

Here’s a gallery of some stuff that TBT Photographer Leigh Armstrong took at the Canvas 4 Show.