Friday, June 15, 7:30 PM

Snazzy Productions Presents:

Darrell Scott

Tickets: $22/Adv  $26/Door

Advance Tickets: www.snazzyproductions.com or by phone (831) 479-9421

Doors: 7:00 PM

Darrell Scott was born in London, Kentucky and is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He moved as a child to East Gary, Indiana. He was playing professionally by his teens in Southern California, later living in Toronto and Boston. He attended Tufts University, where he studied poetry and literature. He has lived in Nashville, Tennessee, since about 1995. He has written several mainstream country hits, and also has established himself as one of Nashville’s premier session instrumentalists. His brother, David Scott accompanies him on occasion on keyboard.    

www.darrellscott.com

David Grisman/Frank Vignola Duo
Monday, June 11
Kuumbwa Jazz

Mandolin extraordinaire David Grisman and consummate guitarist Frank Vignola have been friends and musical collaborators for years, though their busy schedules make this concert pairing a rare treat. After having released an album of standards titled Frank ‘n Dawg (2010), they’ve continued exploring the finer points of the Great American Songbook. With that template in play, this concert will showcase two of the world’s great instrumentalists, enjoying each other’s spontaneity in the company of great jazz and swing classics.

David Grisman has long been one of the brightest stars of bluegrass and acoustic music.  From his East Coast beginnings in jug bands to his work with rock luminary Jerry Garcia, Grisman has infused gypsy jazz stylings with a psychedelic sensibility that has been able to cross genres and audiences many times over.  A poster-child for the ‘New Grass Revival,’ Grisman has been continually committed to musical growth, keeping both himself on his game and his audience on their toes.

New Yorker Frank Vignola is one of the most gifted guitarists performing today. His stunning virtuosity has made him the guitarist of choice for many of the world’s top musicians, ranging all the way from Madonna to Wynton Marsalis.  Les Paul appointed Vignola to his “Five Most Admired Guitarists List” for the Wall Street Journal, and his jaw-dropping technique explains why the New York Times deemed him “one of the brightest…stars of the guitar.”

With their skill and imaginations allowing for seemingly endless musical ideas, seeing Grisman and Vignola together is witnessing pure, inspired collaboration.  The combination of the 14 strings of their guitar and mandolin is like a folk version of a chamber string quartet.  From bluegrass to jazz, to folk and swing, good music is good music to these two and they’re not afraid to tackle new styles, knowing that they have each other’s backs and their strings to do the talking.

CALENDAR INFO
David Grisman/Frank Vignola Duo

DATE: Monday, June 11, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIMES: 7:00 and 9:00 PM
PRICE: $25/Adv $28/Door; No Jazztix or Comps
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Craig Miller
cmmang@socal.rr.com
(818) 704-7800

# # #

Saturday July 21, 7:30 PM

Uncle Bonsai: Live in Santa Cruz

Tickets: General Admission $17/Adv $20/Door; Gold Circle $30 (first 3 rows – center section)

Advance Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com or by phone at 800-838-3006

Doors: 7:00 PM

More info: 866-647-2746 or info@yellowtailrecords.com

The popular Seattle trio, Uncle Bonsai, comes to Santa Cruz for one night at Kuumbwa Jazz.  Uncle Bonsai performs original, contemporary folk/pop music. With their soaring and intricate 3-part vocal harmonies and biting humor, accompanied by only an acoustic guitar, the trio delivers poignantly unflinching portrayals of life, love, and a guy named Doug. Bonsai songs focus on the passing of time, the passing of genes, and the passing of pets — the truth of everything seemingly buried somewhere under the family tree.  The group has recently released its 9th CD, “The Grim Parade,” and is excited to be returning to the area after their appearance in Felton this past December, as part of the Just One Angel tour w/Christine Lavin.

www.unclebonsai.com

Claire Daly Quartet “Tribute to Thelonious Monk”
Friday, June 8
Kuumbwa Jazz
Sponsored by North Coast Brewing Company – proudly serving Brother Thelonoius Belgian Style Abbey Ale

“… the most lyrical baritone saxophonist performing.” – AllAboutJazz.com

Claire Daly tears it up on baritone saxophone and flute. A six-time winner in DownBeat magazine’s Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition, and voted Baritone Saxophonist of the Year (in 2005) by the Jazz Journalist’s Association, Daly is a straight-ahead, solid swinger. Her inventive melodic talent has been featured with Joel Forrestor in People Like Us; the DIVA Big Band; cross-cultural explorers TriBeCaStan, and a diversity of artists ranging from jazz pianist Billy Taylor to Taj Mahal, and James Brown.

When she was still a youngster in grammar school, and a neophyte saxophonist, Claire Daly realized exactly what she wanted to do with her life after witnessing a barn-storming performance by the Buddy Rich Big Band. From then on, music has been central to her life. Her enthusiasm set her on a path that eventually led to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After leaving Berklee, she did what many up-and-coming young jazz musicians do – move to New York City. Once in New York, Daly began ‘paying-her-dues.’ She freelanced taking any gig she was offered. Eventually, word of her saxophone/flute abilities got around the musicians’ grapevine. Longtime gigs with the DIVA Big Band, and work with composer/pianist Joel Forrester in People Like Us, have helped establish her reputation as a top-notch performer.

Striking out on her own as a bandleader, Daly recorded two CDs for Koch Records: Swing Low, and Movin’ On. A third recording, Heaven Help Us All, has been released on her own record label, Daly Bread Records. She also continues to be a first-call studio player for film scores, jingles, and recording projects. Her latest project, recently released, “Mary Joyce Project: Nothing To Lose,” on the Daly Bread label, is based on the 1936 journey of a relative, Mary “Toppy” Joyce, who became the first non-Alaskan to travel solo, by dogsled, 1,000 miles from Fairbanks.

Backing Daly up is a stellar quartet including Steve Hudson – piano, Mary Ann McSweeney – bass and Peter Grant – drums. Daly will play tribute to American jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk – considered on the giants of American music.

CALENDAR INFO
Claire Daly Quartet “Tribute to Thelonious Monk”

DATE: Friday, June 8, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:30 PM
PRICE: $18/Adv $21/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Sandy Sloan
sandy@kuumbwajazz.org
(831) 427-2227

# # #

The Ray Charles Project featuring Tony Lindsay, Glenn Walters, Clifford Coulter, David K. Mathews, DeWayne Pate, Deszon Claiborne
Thursday, June 7
Kuumbwa Jazz

“… they call him (Ray Charles) the ‘father of soul.’” – NPR

Ray Charles’ impact on American popular music still reverberates even into this second decade of the 21^st century. He wasn’t called “The Genius” for nothing. The Ray Charles Project, formed  to pay tribute to Charle’s musical legacy, is fronted by three strong vocalists:  Tony Lindsay(Santana); Bay Area keyboardist/vocalist Clifford Coulter; and Glenn Walters (Hoodoo Rhythm Devils). They are expertly backed by an all-star rhythm section of Hammond B-3 wizard David K. Mathews (Santana); bassist DeWayne Pate (Robben Ford); and Bay Area drummer Deszon X. Claiborne. A more capable collection of award-winning blues and jazz performers to honor Charles’ legacy would be hard to find.

Ray Charles died in 2004, leaving behind a huge musical impact spanning six decades. In mixing African American gospel influences with R&B, Charles introduced ‘soul music’ to mainstream America. It started in 1954 with his recording of I Got A Woman, a prelude to the breakout success of the controversial What’d I Say, which hit the pop charts in 1959. His influence is still being felt today. To celebrate Ray Charles’ music, Santana keyboardist David K. Mathews had originally put the Ray Charles Project together to do a single appearance at Yoshi’s Oakland, but everyone liked it so much they have kept it going with a revolving cast of musicians. Mathews’ Hammond B-3 keyboard work has backed a wide variety of performers over the decades. His first major gig was with Oakland funk-sters Tower of Power. From 1988 to 2008 he worked with blues legend Etta James. As a pianist, his jazz credits include working with vocalist extraordinaire Kim Nalley.

Vocalist Tony Lindsay, a long-time Santana band member, has performed on many Grammy award winning albums with the guitar legend. Clifford Coulter is well-known throughout the Bay Area for his incredible keyboard work and earthy vocals. Bassist DeWayne Pate has been featured with artists as diverse as Boz Scaggs and Robben Ford. Deszon Claiborne, very much ‘in-demand’ as a drummer, has worked with Dr. Lonnie Smith, Charles Brown, and many other notables. Glenn Walters made his mark with the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils, performing down-to-earth rhythm & blues. A powerful vocalist, Walters sums up Ray Charles’ influence succinctly: “If I learned anything from Ray, it’s that pretty much any song can be mined for musical gold if you put your soul into it.” The musicians of the Ray Charles Project definitely put their soul into it.

CALENDAR INFO
The Ray Charles Project featuring Tony Lindsay, Glenn Walters, Clifford Coulter, David K. Mathews, DeWayne Pate, Deszon Claiborne

DATE: Thursday, June 7, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRICE: $18/Adv $21/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Sandy Sloan
sandy@kuumbwajazz.org
(831) 427-2227

# # #

Gourd Music Presents

A Gala Gourd Evening • 25th Anniversary Show

Tickets: $15

Advance Tickets at www.gourd.com

Doors: 7:30 PM

More info: (800) 487-4939

Gourd Music will be celebrating The Wood Between the Worlds a new recording by Shelley Phillips as well as many of their other albums from Gourd Music’s 25 years of creating music.

Featuring:

William Coulter (guitar, bodhran), Shelley Phillips (harp, winds), Barry Phillips (cello, tabla), Neal Hellman (dulcimer), Deby Benton Grosjean (fiddle), Lars Johannesson (flute), and Jesse Autumn (harp) and more special guests.

Gourd Music, the Santa Cruz independent record label acclaimed for its distinctive part-folk, part-classical sound, presents one of its perennially popular all-acoustic revues.

www.gourd.com

Kung Pao Kosher Comedy  Presents…

The 2nd (sorta Annual) Color of Funny

Friday, June 22, 8:00 PM

Ticket price: $20

Doors: 7:30 PM

Advance Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets

For info call: 415-522-3737or email: lisag@igc.org

An evening of very funny, very diverse, very smart, multicultural comedians, from San Francisco and Santa Cruz. Dhaya Lakshminarayanan, who had a traditional Indian upbringing in the Deep South, is a former venture capitalist with two MIT degrees and has been featured on NPR’s Snap Judgment. Yayne Abeba grew up as a first generation Ethiopian in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury and has a one hour special “Africa Laughs with Yayne Abeba” on The Africa Channel. Nathan Habib, who just graduated from UC Santa Cruz, began doing stand up at 14 years old in high school in Palo Alto, where he grew up in a Jewish Israeli household with a Latvian mother and an Italian-raised dad. Lisa Geduldig is a nice Jewish girl who produces numerous popular comedy shows including Kung Pao Kosher Comedy: Jewish comedy on Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this December.

www.KosherComedy.com

Saturday, June 30, 8:00 PM

The Joni Show

Back by Popular Demand, 14 Acts Interpret the Music of Venerable Songwriter

Tickets: $20/Adv $25/Door

Advance Tickets: www.brownpapertickets.com

Doors: 7:00 PM

More info: 831-335-8110, jayme@purrgirl.com

Each of the 14 featured acts perform selections from the extensive catalogue of Joni Mitchell, a singer, songwriter, composer, guitar innovator and arranger whose influence on popular music is paralleled only by Bob Dylan and the Beatles.  The original Joni Show, held in March, sold out weeks in advance.

The concert features a wide variety of interpretation of material that spans the breadth of Joni Mitchell’s extensive body of work, including five selections from “Blue,” Mitchell’s groundbreaking 1971 album. 16 other song choices reflect an artistic output that runs from “Song to a Seagull,” Mitchell’s first release in 1968, all the way to “Turbulent Indigo,” her fifteenth full-length album, released in 1994. Mitchell has released two additional CDs of original music since then, most recently “Shine,” in 2007. Many well-known artists have also published tribute recordings.

Featured acts in The Joni Show include:
Amy Obenski, piano and voice
Barry Phillips, cello
Celina Gutierrez and Rhan Wilson, acoustic guitar, voice and electric bass
Ginny Mitchell, guitar and voice and a full band
Jayme Kelly Curtis, open tuned baritone ukulele and voice
Jesse Autumn, Celtic harp, piano and voice
Laura Devine, dulcimer and voice
Mary McCaslin, guitar and voice
Nancy Levan and Bill Walker, acoustic guitar, voice, lap steel guitar and effects
Paula Bliss, guitar and voice
Pipa Pinon, voice

Additional backing musicians include:

Bob Bliss, piano
Bob Burnett, seven string guitar
Bob von Elgg, electric guitar
Daniel Vee Lewis, bass
Jimmy Norris, drums
Shelley Phillips, English horn

Wednesday, June 20, 7:00 PM

Pulse Productions Presents:

Hawaii’s Legendary: Henry Kapono

Tickets: $26/Adv $29/Door

Advance Tickets: Streetlight Records, 939 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz and www.pulseproductions.net

Doors: 6:30 PM

More info: (831) 423-7970 or michael@pulseproductions.net

Grammy nominated singer/songwriter presents: Home in the Islands Tour!

www.henrykapono.com

Steve Smith & Vital Information: 30^th Anniversary Tour
Monday, June 4
Kuumbwa Jazz

“Vital Information is one of improvised music’s best-kept secrets…” – Jazz Times

Drummer Steve Smith is never one to rest on his laurels and past accomplishments. From his early gigs with jazz/fusion pioneer Jean Luc Ponty to the rock anthems of Journey, Smith has been the ultimate sideman, always delivering the goods, but never sacrificing musicality for “chops.” He started Vital Information three decades ago to explore music that was challenging and satisfying. Electric and energetic, Vital Information has a melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic inventiveness, that travels from gritty funkiness to head-spinning call-and-response. This group challenges all conventional assumptions about what jazz/fusion can be. Their latest recording is LIVE! One Great Night (BFM Jazz), and features Tom Coster, Baron Browne, and Vinnie Valentino.

Steve Smith, inspired by the marching drum sections he witnessed at parades started drumming at age nine. With the encouragement of his drum instructor, he was listening to jazz drummers early on in his studies. Upon graduating high school, Smith entered Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music. His early professional experience included playing in big bands, bebop groups, and avant-garde jazz. In 1976 Smith was asked to join French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty’s fusion outfit. Ponty, a trailblazer in the jazz/rock movement of the late ’60s, exposed Smith’s drum talents to a larger audience, catapulting the young drummer onto the international music scene. In 1978, Smith detoured into the rock world, performing with rock legend Ronnie Montrose. That same year, he assumed the drum chair for Journey, already a major band on the arena rock circuit. After seven years of touring and recording with Journey, he left in 1985 to focus solely on Vital Information, a fusion project he had started two years earlier. In addition to Vital Information, Smith also started performing with Mike Mainieri’s Steps Ahead, an association he maintains to this day. In 2003, with a small group of Buddy Rich Big Band alumni, Smith formed Buddy’s Buddies, recording two CDs of Rich’s music as a tribute to the drum legend.

Keyboardist Tom Coster came to Vital Information in 1986, via gigs with Gabor Szabo, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Santana. He composed several of Santana’s best-known songs and recorded several albums as a bandleader. Bassist Baron Browne’s experiences range from Gary Burton to Billy Cobham, and pop singer Tom Jones. Vinnie Valentino is the group’s newest member, holding down the guitar chair since 2006. Influenced by his mentor, George Benson, Valentino’s long performing resume includes work with John Pattitucci, Steve Gadd, and Randy Brecker. Together, the members of Vital Information cover a lot of musical bases from classic jazz/rock fusion to funky, down-home, second-line syncopation, and straight-ahead, uptempo swingers. They are always inventive, and always incredible. This tour celebrates an amazing 30 years together!

CALENDAR INFO
Steve Smith & Vital Information

DATE: Monday, June 4, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:00 PM
PRICE: $23/Adv $26/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227 

Media contact:
Michael Bloom
musicPR@earthlink.net
(310) 779-1886

 # # #

Billy Martin and Wil Blades Duo
New Release “Shimmy” out May 22
Thursday, May 31
Kuumbwa Jazz

Billy Martin and Wil Blades wanna make you Shimmy. The organ/drums duo waste no time getting right down to it on their debut album due May 22 from The Royal Potato Family in collaboraton with Martin’s own Amulet Records. Martin and Blades go old school in the tradition of essential organ-groove sides by the likes of Charles Earland, Brother Jack McDuff and Groove Holmes. Martin, the drummer for the legendary Medeski, Martin & Wood, and Blades, a much buzzed about young organist from the San Francisco live music scene, first came together for a low-key, one-off late night set during the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2011. The music that evening was so deep in the pocket that the pair knew instantly there would be more shows together in their future. A West Coast tour was arranged for later in the year, which played to packed houses from Washington to California. In the middle of the run, Martin and Blades ducked into a Berkeley recording studio to capture what would become Shimmy.

With a steady base as one-third of the renowned experimental jazz trio Medeski, Martin, & Wood, drummer Billy Martin has become one of the most forward-thinking, innovative, and influential percussionists in the music world. DownBeat critics poll winner in the Rising Star category, organist Wil Blades has become the San Francisco Bay Area’s first call keyboardists’. The duo creates a musical dialogue that is at once danceable and highly improvisational.

Since his co-founding of Medeski, Martin & Wood in 1991, Billy Martin has believed in the power of music and expression to capture “glimpses of the truth.”  Himself being (aside from a drummer) a composer, filmmaker, sculptor and woodworker, Martin’s endeavors all display his commitment to improvisation and being in the moment.  As Martin states, “In any circumstance, any medium, you need to be sincere with yourself and with your audience.  This is who you are, and you’ve got to be trying as hard as you can to create something for the situation that’s new and fresh.”

From backing up blues legend John Lee Hooker, to organ summits with B-3 master Dr. Lonnie Smith and numerous television and radio appearances, Wil Blades has been steadily gaining critical acclaim and international recognition.  A Chicago native, Blades has become the San Francisco Bay Area’s first call organist.  In 2007 and 2008, he was named in the Downbeat critics poll under “Rising Star” for organ and for the past several years, Blades has been wowing Bay Area audiences with his various groups.

“It never crossed my mind to start a duo with another organist because I had just celebrated 20 years with my good friend and partner John Medeski. The last thing I wanted to do was make a commitment to another keyboardist,” says Martin. “But after that gig in New Orleans, I knew it was in the stars for Wil and I to collaborate. You never know what’s around the corner. With all the changes this planet has been through, you have to follow the signs when it all comes together like that.”

CALENDAR INFO
Billy Martin and Wil Blades Duo

DATE: Thursday, May 31, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 8:00 PM
PRICE: $20/Adv $23/Door; ½ Price Night for Students. Tickets available at the door with valid I.D.
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Kevin Calabro
royalppotatofamily@gmail.com
917-838-4613

 # # #

Laurie Lewis will be performing at Kuumbwa with “Hills to Hollers” on May 21.

Bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis, Cultural Heritage Choir leader Linda Tillery and Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Barbara Higbie have created a vocal trio that taps into the most primordial roots of the American musical experience. “Hills to Hollers” explores American music from the hills of bluegrass and country, to the work songs and hollers of the African-American tradition. Performing with soulful abandon, three-part vocals, and champion musicianship, these women take it to the mat.

Laurie Lewis’ new album Skippin’ and Flyin’ is a tribute to bluegrass legend Bill Monroe.  It turns out that Lewis’ relationship with Monroe got its start backstage at Kuumbwa in the early 1980s.  Laurie took a moment to talk about that meeting and the upcoming “Hills to Hollers” show.  John Sandidge, of Snazzy Productions – and producer of that Bill Monroe show – also recounted for us his recollections of when Monroe graced the Kuumbwa stage.

Conducted by Bennett Jackson

Laurie Lewis Interview

Can you recall the details of your band opening up for, and you meeting Bill Monroe at Kuumbwa?

I had met Bill previously, but I don’t think he would have remembered me before we met at Kuumbwa.  His bus driver at the time, Roland White, was a fan of my interpretation of a song written by Bill’s daughter, Melissa Monroe.  Roland made sure that Bill came into [Kuumbwa] and listened to me sing that song.  As you know, the back room is pretty tiny, and there wasn’t room in there for all the Blue Grass Boys and my 5-piece band.  When we got off stage, we needed to pack up as quickly as possible to make room for Bill’s band.  Bill was seated in a chair, and hoisted my guitar case up onto his lap and opened it or me, so that I could pack up.  He said, “I’ve never done this for anyone before.” and then he told me, “You’re better than you think you are.”

Did Monroe’s playing influence how you approached your music early in your career?

Most definitely.  I was given a copy of “The Great Bill Monroe,” an album of some of his early Columbia recordings, and was totally smitten by Chubby Wise’s fiddling and also by the raw, emotive singing on that collection.  Bill’s mandolin playing may not have influenced me personally too much, but his entire band’s sound certainly did.

Your latest album, Skippin’ and Flyin’ is a tribute to Monroe.  Was there a moment when you realized you wanted to pay homage to him in an album?

I think that it occurred to me to do this when I started hearing people re-recording Bill’s repertoire for the centennial of his birth [in 2011]. I thought about the huge impact his music has had on my music, and I wanted to express that in a personal way…not just by dong a bunch of his songs over again, but by exploring the ways he taught me (unknown to him) to take material from various sources and personalize it.

Will you be doing any tunes from Skippin’ and Flyin in the “Hills to Hollers” show?

Yes, we will be playing at least one song from that album: “The Pharaoh’s Daughter.”  It is about the woman who risked going against her father’s edict to save Moses from death.

How do you, Linda Tillery and Barbara Higbie decide on what material to include in the “Hills to Hollers” repertoire?

We just get together and try it out, and see what fits us. If any of the three of us vetoes any particular suggestion, we move on, because there is so much material to draw from we have the luxury of making sure we are all on the same page. We like the material that seems to be from that time in American history when rural people, black and white, played and sang a similar repertoire. We use that as a jumping-off point for forays into all sorts of collaborations.

——————————————————————————————

John Sandidge on Bill Monroe playing Kuumbwa

Somewhere between 1980 and ‘83, early on in Snazzy Production’s career, we brought Bill Monroe [to Santa Cruz] twice: once to the Crow’s Nest and once to Kuumbwa.  The Kuumbwa show really stands out in my mind, though.  At that time I was not very good about knowing what was going on in this business and I got a call [from Monroe’s management] that asked what time I was picking up Bill from the airport, and I said “well, I’m not…” and they told me I’d signed a contract saying that I would!  I looked it up…and I had!  At that time I owned an old Cadillac limo from the mid-to-late sixties, so I fired up the Caddy and went over the hill and picked up Bill Monroe, all of the Blue Grass Boys, Bill’s new wife, plus all their instruments and packed them into this limo and went back over Highway 17.

When we hit the summit I turned on the radio to KPIG and they were playing a Bill Monroe tune.  Bill asked “How did you do that?!”  I joked and said “it’s new-fangled radio, I could do that anytime” and Bill says: “Well, have them play another one.”  So we get to Kuumbwa, and Bill had a reputation of being a pretty grumpy guy, but he had his new wife with him and he was just in a great mood and he was hanging out with some kids and the younger musicians while he was there.  We didn’t have a hugely [financially] successful show, but it was just a great experience…to have somebody of that caliber come to town…a guy who invented a style of American music that will last forever.

Orrin Keepnews is arguably one of the most well-known, and prolific, record producers in jazz. In this Kuumbwa Master Class, moderated by Bay Area music writer Andrew Gilbert, Keepnews will discuss his associations with many iconic musicians, including piano titans Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans, as well as alto sax legend Cannonball Adderley. His Riverside Records label continues to live on through re-issues of classic sessions. Currently, he is the curator of the Fantasy archives now owned by Concord Records.

Orrin Keepnews was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1923. After graduation from Columbia University, and serving in the armed forces during WWII, he became editor of The Record Changer magazine, founded by his college pal Bill Grauer, in 1948. Four years later, Keepnews and Grauer started Riverside Records, ostensibly to focus on producing reissues of old jazz and blues recordings. However, by 1954, they had broadened their musical mission and signed their first modern jazz artist, pianist/composer Randy Weston. From there, they continued to build an impressive list of promising new artists, eventually landing Thelonious Monk for a series of now historic recordings.

For over a decade, until Grauer’s death in 1963, Riverside was a major player in the jazz world. Undaunted, Keepnews started the Milestone label in 1966 with Dick Katz. Milestone eventually became home to jazz luminaries Joe Henderson, Lee Konitz, and McCoy Tyner. In 1972, Orrin accepted a position at Fantasy Records, in San Francisco. Fantasy had purchased the Riverside catalog, and Keepnews found himself coming full circle. Once again he was producing reissues, except it was reissues of his previous Riverside sessions. By the 1980s, Orrin independently produced recording projects before starting Landmark Records. In 1988, his book, The View from Within: Jazz Writings, 1948-87, a compilation of his essays and commentaries on music, and the music business, was published.  He sold Landmark in 1993, but has stayed active in the recording industry, doing what he has always done, getting great music reissued for the world to hear.

Orrin Keepnews has been awarded four Grammy Awards over the years:  Best Album Notes for Bill Evans’ The Interplay Sessions (1983); Best Album Notes and Best Historical Album for Thelonious Monk’s The Complete Riverside Recordings (1987); and Best Historical Album for The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition/The Complete RCA Victor Recordings (1927-1973) (1999). He was given the NARAS Trustees Award for Lifetime Achievement, in 2004. And, in 2011, Keepnews received the prestigious A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy.

Master Classes are offered at no cost to the public thanks to generous funding from Newman’s Own Foundation.

High resolution photo: http://kuumbwajazz.org/media/press-photos/

CALENDAR INFO
Master Class: A Conversation with NEA Jazz Master Orrin Keepnews

DATE: Wednesday, May 30, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:00 PM; No reservations required
PRICE: FREE EVENT
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Melody Korkos
melody@kuumbwajazz.org

# # #

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 7:30 PM
AT THE RIO THEATRE

CHICK COREA / STANLEY CLARKE /
JACK DEJOHNETTE TRIO
CELEBRATING JACK’S 70TH BIRTHDAY

Tickets: General Admission Seating – $40.00

All tickets subject to S.C. City Admission Tax

All Sales Final – No Refunds or Exchanges

Neither Jazztix nor Comps will be accepted

Pianist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Jack DeJohnette and are widely acknowledged as three of jazz music’s greatest musicians. Individually, each is an acclaimed and recognized virtuoso player, accomplished bandleader, composer and producer. From Miles Davis to Pat Metheny, each has collaborated with many, if not all, of the major figures in jazz, earning more accolades and awards than can be listed. Both Corea and DeJohnette are National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Awardees, the highest honor our nation bestows on jazz musicians. Each artist can easily claim to be at the forefront of many of the most innovative, significant and influential musical projects starting thirty years ago and continuing up through today. Not content at any time to rest on laurels or be easily categorized, these three artists have not only remained current, but have continued to lead the way while pushing the limits of their art. The trio is working together for the first time as a celebration of Jack DeJohnette’s 70th Birthday. Don’t miss this special evening with three of the true giants of jazz!

Saturday, June 2, 7:30 PM

Snazzy Productions Presents:

Austin Lounge Lizards

with Roy Zimmerman

$22/Adv  $26/Door  $35/Gold Circle

Tickets available at www.snazzyproductions.com or  831-479-9421

The Austin Lounge Lizards are a band from Austin, Texas formed in 1980. The band includes founding members Hank Card and Conrad Deisler, along with Darcie Deaville (2008) and Bruce Jones (2010). The third founding member, Tom Pittman, retired from the band in the spring of 2011. The band started out experimenting with folk but was still heavily country in its style, combining the bluegrass form with which Pittman was familiar with the progressive-themed folk rock Card and Deisler had been accustomed to. Between the members a large number of different instruments have been played, including a rich variety of string instruments such as the banjo, mandolin, and fiddle.

www.austinlizards.com

Celebrate International Jazz Day at Kuumbwa Jazz with the Alfredo Rodriguez Trio.
|Quincy Jones states of Rodriguez, “He’s one of the best!”

International Jazz Day to be Celebrated with All-Star Concerts in Paris, New Orleans and New York
Video Streams of all 3 Concerts Live on Jazz Day and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz

On Friday, April 27, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock will kick-off the first annual International Jazz Day with a full day of events including live performances, Master Classes, and discussions featuring Marcus Miller, Barbara Hendricks, Hugh Masekela, Dee Dee Bridgewater, plus much more. Please visit http://unesco.org for complete details.

The day will conclude in a concert of jazz luminaries including: Herbie Hancock, George Benson, Swan Berger, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Igor Butman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Gerald Clayton, Klaus Doldinger, Dominique Fillon, Antonio Hart, Barbara Hendricks, Nicole Slack Jones, Manu Katché, Eric Lagnini, Bireli Lagrene, Jean Felix Lalanne, Nguyen Le, Lionel Loueke, Michel El Malem, Tania Maria, Hugh Masekela, Marcus Miller, China Moses, Michael Rodriguez, Isphar Sarabski, Ben Williams, and many others. John Beasley will serve as Musical Director.

The concert will be streamed live at jazzday.com and monkinstitute.org

The inaugural International Jazz Day will be celebrated by millions worldwide on Monday, April 30, and will begin with an all-star sunrise concert in New Orleans’ Congo Square, the birthplace of jazz and culiminate with a sunset concert at the United Nations. Presented by UNESCO in partnership with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, International Jazz Day will encourage and highlight intercultural dialogue and understanding through jazz, America’s greatest contribution to the world of music.

Herbie Hancock will be joined in New Orleans by jazz luminaries Terence Blanchard, Ellis Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Kermit Ruffins, Treme Brass Band, and Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts and many more.

The sunrise concert from Congo Square is open to the public and begins at 7am (8am EDT), and will be video streamed live at Jazz Day and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

We invite students and schools from around the world to join in the celebration of International Jazz Day and play “Watermelon Man” along with Herbie Hancock live from Congo Square, New Orleans at 8:15am EDT on April 30, 2012. Sheet music and an MP3 is available to download on JazzDay.com. Please video your performances of “Watermelon Man” and upload them to youtube.com and title them: International Jazz Day – Watermelon Man. Please include tags: JazzDay, April30, IntlJazzDay, HerbieHancock. Let us know the link and the musicians and where you performed and for how many people on this form. We’ll post your videos and your photos on JazzDay.com.

International Jazz Day culminates at the United Nations with an all-star sunset concert. Joining Herbie Hancock are: Tony Bennett, Terence Blanchard, Richard Bona (Cameroon), Dee Dee Bridgewater, Candido, Robert Cray, Eli Degibri (Israel), Jack DeJohnette, Sheila E., Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath, Zakir Hussain (India), Chaka Khan, Angelique Kidjo (Benin), Lang Lang (China), Romero Lubambo (Brazil), Shankar Mahadevan (India), Wynton Marsalis, Hugh Masekela (South Africa), Christian McBride, Danilo Pérez, Dianne Reeves, Wayne Shorter, Esperanza Spalding, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Hiromi (Japan), and others. George Duke will serve as Musical Director. Confirmed Co-Hosts include Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman and Quincy Jones.

The concert at the United Nations General Assembly Hall begins at 7:30pm EDT and will be video streamed live at Jazz Day and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

In addition to viewing the concerts from Paris, New Orleans and New York at JazzDay.com, JazzCorner.com created JazzDay.com as an informational portal for jazz education resources and the site where you too can inform and show the world your jazz events and educational activities on April 30th. There are instructions and forms located on the site. After April 30th, hundreds of videos will be on display on JazzDay.com

To stay up to date: follow us on twitter @intljazzday with hash tag #jazzday;
Facebook: http://facebook.com/intljazzday

James Farm:
Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman and Eric Harland
Thursday, May 24
Kuumbwa Jazz

“intensely focused…unpressured and completely in command”- New York Times

In the able hands of tenor man Joshua Redman, small groups pack as much punch as any respectable symphony orchestra. This ensemble, cryptically entitled James Farm, indulges the penchant for groove from which Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman and Eric Harland all draw ground-zero inspiration. While the instrumentation may seem traditional, James Farm’s approach is anything but. Incorporating elements of rock, folk, classical and even electronica, Redman and crew bring a perfect balance of compositional complexity and harmonic accessibility.

Born the son of saxophone luminary Walter “Dewey” Redman, young Joshua was (albeit reluctantly) destined for the life of an artist. A remarkable jazz curriculum fortuitously sprang up in the Berkeley public school system. The program would shape Redman into an accomplished saxophonist in the years to follow. But behind the scenes, Joshua was unsettled by a future in jazz and immersed himself in academics. Graduating as valedictorian, he earned early admission to Harvard University. Music took the back burner for the next four years; he graduated with honors and made preparations to continue on to law school. However, jam sessions at nearby Berklee College rekindled his artistic fire and Redman left school for New York. Countless critical accolades and a reverence among peers have reaffirmed the wisdom of this decision. That divergence has since become its’ own reward, fulfillment of his “number one priority…to play with great musicians.” This quartet is no exception.

Fellow over-achiever Aaron Parks commenced studies at the University of Washington at the tender age of 14. Two short years later, the Seattle-born pianist was already attending Manhattan’s New School. By his senior year, he’d landed a gig with Terence Blanchard that led to a Grammy nomination. Besides five titles as bandleader, Parks has since served as a sideman for Kendrick Scott, Gretchen Parlato and Kurt Rosenwinkel.

New Zealander Matt Penman (bass) was originally drawn to the states by a Berklee scholarship. After graduation, he too headed to New York and began working with a laundry list of heavyweights- Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Matt Wilson, Brad Mehldau, Brian Blade and Madeleine Peyroux to name a few. But it was as a member of the Aaron Parks Quartet and the Joshua Redman Trio that Penman truly found his niche. Kidnap both bandleaders for a leaderless sidecar project? Not a problem. But who to handle the percussion?

Eric Harland was the natural choice. A Houston, Texas native and kindred spirit with a knack for blurring the lines between solo and accompaniment, Eric has been a first-call sideman for everyone from Dave Holland to Charles Lloyd.  Modern Drummer magazine once remarked on the secret ingredient that ensures excitement at every one of his performances- “as likely to play a funky Bernard Purdie pattern as a floating Jack DeJohnette pulse, Harland is musical to a fault.” The same can be said of James Farm, a quartet whose loyalties lie with, above all else, the music.

James Farm, in its forward-thinking and open-ended approach to the jazz idiom, offers followers of modern jazz much to be excited about.  These four musicians are passionate about bringing their best game to the table and with each player setting the bar so high, it allows the audience to see each one at the peak of their powers.  Parks explains: “[James Farm] forces me to step up.”   This is one super-group that truly lives up to its name.

CALENDAR LISTING INFO
James Farm: Joshua Redman, Aaron Parks, Matt Penman and Eric Harland

DATE: Thursday, May 24, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIMES: 7:00 & 9:00 PM
COST: $28/Adv $31/Door; 9:00pm: 1/2 PRICE NIGHT FOR STUDENTS.
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media Contact:
Melissa Cusick
Melissa.cusick@nonesuch.com
(212) 707-2912

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Laurie Lewis, Linda Tillery, Barbara Higbie “Hills to Hollers”
Monday, May 21
Kuumbwa Jazz
Pre-concert talk beginning at 6:30 PM

Bluegrass legend Laurie Lewis, Cultural Heritage Choir leader Linda Tillery and Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Barbara Higbie have created a trio that taps into the most primordial roots of the American musical experience. “Hills to Hollers” explores American music from the hills of bluegrass and country, to the work songs and hollers of the African-American tradition. Performing with soulful abandon, three-part vocals and champion musicianship, these women take it to the mat.

Exploring the interplay of black and white Southern musical traditions, “Hills to Hollers” paints a compelling musical portrait of the South.  It’s also the first-ever effort of  the  trio:  Laurie Lewis, a renowned bluegrass vocalist, fiddler and guitarist; gospel, roots-based Linda Tillery, and Barbara Higbie, a championship fiddler as well as a jazz pianist, acts as musical director of the show and provides additional soaring harmonies.  “These tunes represent the basis of all popular American music. Sung well, they can send shivers up your spine and your spirits soaring,” Higbie says of the “Hills to Hollers” show.

California-born Lewis has been an active participant in the American folk music scene since the mid 70’s, when she began playing music in San Francisco.  Since then she’s appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, A Prairie Home Companion and has released over fifteen albums.  Tillery has made a name for herself as a singer and percussionist since after starting out in the San Francisco scene in the late 1960’s.  She currently leads the renowned African music group Cultural Heritage Choir.  Midwest-raised/San Francisco-based Higbie cut her teeth on the Windham Hill label in the eighties and has been active touring and recording ever since.

These three individuals add their own stylistic stamp to the oeuvre of southern music – a genre of music that all about telling stories and passing down traditions – and its comforting to know that these women are keeping that tradition alive and spreading the joy of this historical American music.

CALENDAR INFO
Laurie Lewis, Linda Tillery, Barbara Higbie “Hills to Hollers”

DATE: Monday, May 21, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:00 PM; Pre-concert talk beginning at 6:30 PM
PRICE: $22/Adv $25/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Sandy Sloan
sandy@kuumbwajazz.org
(831) 427-2227

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Cyprian Consiglio CD Release

Tickets: $25 – $35

Doors at  7:00 PM

Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets

Celebrating the release of Cyprian Consiglio’s new CD Ecstasis, featuring Steve Robertson, Paul Tarantino and Joseph Hebert.  Also featuring Gitanjali Lori Rivera and John Marheineke.

The concert will benefit the children of Bless School in Tamil Nadu, adjacent to the Camaldolese Catholic Ashram, Shantivanam.  Sangha Shantivanam is hosting the concert.  Admission will include a reception.  There will also be a raffle with handmade crafts and fine art.

Sangha Shantivanam is a Christian Community which aims to promote the Universal Call to Contemplation through shared prayer and spiritual practice.  It is a 501C3 non-profit organization founded in Santa Cruz.

www.sanghashantivanam.org

Tia Fuller Quartet
Friday, May 18
Kuumbwa Jazz

“… sheer improvisational prowess.” – The Chicago Tribune

When Tia Fuller isn’t leading her own quartet, you may have heard the gifted alto saxophonist/flutist with a variety of performers in the jazz and pop world. Her dynamic sound, inspired by Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane, has been featured with Nancy Wilson, Jon Faddis, Sean Jones, and pop diva Beyonce. Elements of bop, gospel, Brazilian, and funk are infused throughout her energetic music. Fuller has three recordings out under her own name, the latest being the critically praised Decisive Steps (Mack Avenue Recordings). Most recently, she was named Musical Director for Esperanza Spalding’s eagerly awaited Radio Music Society tour.

Tia Fuller grew up in Aurora, Colorado. Her parents were educator/administrators in the Denver public school system and also musicians. Playing music was a regular part of her early life. At age 3, she was already trying to imitate her older sister, Shamie, at the piano. By age 9, she started taking flute lessons. In high school, she focused on saxophone and her burgeoning interest in playing jazz. Academically inclined, Fuller has a Bachelor of Arts in music from Spelman College in Atlanta and a Masters in Jazz Pedagogy and Performance from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Fuller relocated to New Jersey in 2001, plunging into the jazz scene, and going all out to become established as a working musician. Gigs with big bands led by Charli Persip, Don Byron, and Jon Faddis helped make Fuller a talent worth hearing. In 2006, Fuller was selected to be part of pop diva Beyonce’s Experience World Tour.

Fuller’s association with Beyonce gave her high exposure on an international level, something rarely accorded a jazz artist. Yet, Fuller continued to nurture her solo career, working with her quartet on recordings and concert appearances. To date, she has three CDs under her own name, and received kudos from all corners of the jazz world. She also maintains a busy schedule as a music clinician, preparing the next generation of jazz musicians, and spreading the word on the therapeutic, as well as the artistic, aspects of music. Idealism and music go together for Fuller. She strongly believes in the ability of music to uplift and inspire people in their daily life. Her energetic performances, where she never gives less than 100%, bear this out. When not leading her own group, Fuller plays regularly in a number of stellar groups, including the Rufus Reid Septet, Sean Jones Quintet, and T.S. Monk’s septet. This inventive straight-ahead player has been described by one critic as “among the top tier of current saxophone players.” Definitely, one to watch!

CALENDAR INFO
Tia Fuller Quartet

DATE: Friday, May 18, 2012
PLACE: Kuumbwa Jazz Center
ADDRESS: 320 Cedar St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
TIME: 7:30 PM
PRICE: $22/Adv $25/Door
TICKETS: Logos Books & Records, 1117 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz (831) 427-5100 and online at: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org
MORE INFO: http://www.kuumbwajazz.org or 831-427-2227

Media contact:
Jordy Freed
jordy@dlmediamusic.com
610-667-0501

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