Friday, February 17, 2006
JAZZ CHILL NEWS BITS: RAY BARRETTO, JAZZMASTERS, HARDCASTLE, ELVIS COSTELLO, SMOOTH JAZZ WJZW, GILLES PETERSON, BETH ORTON & JAZZ FESTIVALS & MORE...
Trippin ‘n’ Rhythm presents an all-star line up for the music of The Jazzmasters and Hardcastle live in the U.S.A. For the first time ever there will be two dates announced for the U.S. only. We’ll pass on the information once we receive it. The only downside, though, is that producer Paul Hardcastle will not be in the shows…Smooth jazz pianist Marcus Johnson is now the regular talent at Juste Lounge in Bethesda, Maryland as he appears there every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. We have received information that he is also working on his new album. In stores now is Smooth Jazz WJZW 105.9 Volume 3 compilation CD which includes Johnson, as well as favorites from Paul Hardcastle, Ken Navarro, Chaka Khan, Richard Elliot, Michael McDonald, Pieces Of A Dream, and many others…Jazz festival updates: the 2006 Sea Breeze 106.3 Jazz Festival is set for April 21-23 in Destin Florida; the 2006 St Lucia Jazz Festival will take place on May 4-14 in St. Lucia; and the Cocoa Beach 2006 Jazz Festival will happen April 21-23 in Cocoa Beach, Florida…Check out the free Jazziz Magazine February 2006 disc as it features selections from Lee Ritenour, Rigmor Gustaffson & The Jacky Terrasson Trio, Eric Truffaz, Bobo Stenson/Anders Jormin/Paul Motian, David Pack, Jean-Michel Pilc, Chiara Civello, Lars Danielsson, Chuck Perrin, Tord Gustavsen Trio, Otis Taylor, Guillermo Klein, Warren Hill, and Lalo Shifrin…Elvis Costello’s latest CD My Flame Burns Blue (Deutsche Grammaphon), features one disc recorded live with the Netherlands’ 52 piece Metropole Orkest, and another his 45-minute Il Sogno, the vocalist/pianist/guitarist’s first full-length orchestral work. The Metropole material includes revamped Costello rock hits, plus songs by jazz legends Charles Mingus and Billy Strayhorn….Gilles Peterson Worldwide mix show comes to chill radio station blu 102.9 Sunday nights at 5 p.m. with a rebroadcast at 9 p.m (Santa Fe, New Mexico local time). Those of us stateside can now listen to Gilles Peterson as he brings the same show that he does for BBC1 every week…Legendary percussionist and bandleader Ray Barretto died February 17 in Hackensack N.J., he was 76. Barretto was a virtuoso conguero and a fixture in New York’s Latin jazz scene and his career spawned more than 50 albums. He was a key member of the Fania All Stars and recorded alongside greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Tito Puente. He was hospitalized on Jan. 30 with post-surgical complications (the result of a quintuple bypass operation earlier) and pneumonia. His most recent album – Time Was-Time Is, was released in 2005 on the O+Music label…Guitarist Mike Keneally is scheduled for performances in late Feb. and March, 2006 as he performs with the Absolute Ensemble in Germany, and also a performance of his album, The Universe Will Provide, with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra…Bassist Chris Wood (a member of the trio Medeski, Martin & Wood), and his brother, singer and guitarist Oliver Wood (of the blue’s band King Johnson) will reunite at Joe’s Pub in New York City on March 7. The occasion will be the CD release party for the duo’s debut, Ways Not To Lose (Blue Note), produced by John Medeski. Percussionist Kenny Wolleson contributes on several tracks…Beth Orton releases Comfort of Strangers, her first record in nearly four years. With the album, as she shakes off any remaining rave dust from her early collaborations with William Orbit and the Chemical Brothers. The U.K. singer/songwriter instead enlists eclectic indie icon Jim O'Rourke as producer, and the result is a lovely set of pop-flavored neo-folk…Smooth jazz station WUBU-FM (106.3) in South Bend, IN has brought back The Tom Joyner Show (effective Feb. 6). In addition to bringing back Joyner, WUBU will become known as The New Mix 106 and the format will open up to include artists such as Marvin Gaye, The O’Jays, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Teddy Pendergrass, R. Kelly and Alicia Keys as part of the smooth jazz mix. The station has been broadcasting smooth jazz since 2003 at which time they had dropped the Joyner show, however, fans never forgave the station for yanking the show.
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