Int'l Society for Improvised Music Festival 2012

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Parent Category: Other Festivals

Category: Music

Published on Friday, 17 February 2012 15:00

Written by Sean Cusack

The International Society for Improvised Music Festival 2012, taking place February 16^th – 19^th at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ, will kick-off 9am Friday morning with a distinquished Keynote Panel featuring Karl Berger, founder and director of Creative Music Studio, and Douglas Ewart, Chair of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.  

The panel's presentations and discussions will focus on the interactions that took place between members of Creative Music Studios and AACM during the 70’s and 80’s, and the repercussions that are still being felt today.

"The discussions concerning the philosophies that governed CMS and AACM should prove to be ofgreat interest to the new generation of improvisers today, " said Berger, who has been actively developing improvised orchestras for the past forty years.  Berger, the co-founder with Ornette Coleman and Ingrid Sertso of the legendary Creative Music Studio and its parent organization, the Creative Music Foundation. CMS is credited as the birthplace of Worldjazz - the improvisational and compositional expansion of the world's musical traditions. Now one of the main driving forces in many styles of music, this concept was pioneered very early at CMS, guided by authentic leaders. Hundreds of live concerts were recorded, many heralded as landmark performances. Thousands of workshops, master classes, concerts and colloquia inspired a generation of musicians who took with them the ideas, concepts and practices developed with Berger. The CMS community still exists in a remarkable network of creative musicians, many of whom came to the studio from Asia, Europe and South America. Fellow panel participant Douglas R. Ewart is a composer, improviser, sculptor and is internationally recognized as one of the world’s most important talents in improvised music.  

Saturday events conclude with an evening festival concert directed by Karl Berger with the 25-member University of Michigan Creative Arts Orchestra. A key component of this concert will be the CMS model of a site-specific open workshop followed by a complete orchestral performance. The event has already begun, so act now!

For more information on the Conference, check out their web site here: Int'l Society for Improvised Music ISIM

Intern'l Society for Improvised Music Festival 2012
February 16-19, 2012

William Paterson University
300 Pompton Rd
Wayne, NJ

Telluride Jazz Festival 2012: 36 Years of World-Class Jazz

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Parent Category: Other Festivals

Category: Music

Published on Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:00

Written by Sean Cusack

The Telluride Jazz Festival will be marking its 36^th year of bringing world-class jazz music to Telluride, CO. A not-to-be-missed musical extravaganza, the event has earned international acclaim for its showcasing of the absolute best in classic, mainstream, blues, Brazilian, African and Latin Jazz. The festival is a celebration of the art, soul, history and future of jazz that everyone can enjoy.

It is scheduled to take place on August 3^rd to the 5^th at Telluride Town Park. 

Performances will take place outdoors in the daytime and in exclusive intimate clubs and historic concert halls at night. A complimentary wine tasting featuring over 20 varietals will take place on Saturday afternoon for all festival attendees.

Some of the wonderful artists being featured this year include:

Victor Wooten Band
A five-time Grammy Award winner and winner of every major award give to a bass guitarist including being voted Bassist of the Year in Bass Player Magazine three times. Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the Top Ten Bassists of All Time.

Soulive
After recording their break-out record Get Down! in 1999, this famed jazz trio has recorded with the likes of Chaka Khan, Dave Matthews, Talib Kweli and John Scofield. Opening for The Rolling Stones one tour and Stevie Wonder the next, there is not much this band hasn’t done.

John Cleary & The Philthy Phew
Born in England and bred in New Orleans, Jon Cleary is a prolific triple threat combining soulful vocals, masterful piano skills, and a talent for producing infectious grooves with melodic hooks and poignant lyrics. Whether performing on solo piano, with his jazz trio The Philthy Phew or alongside Bonnie Rait and John Scofield, Cleary is among the best of the best.

Astral All-Stars Project with Sasha
New Orleans’s most respected, inventive and exciting modern jazz group comprised of world-class improvisers hailed by fans and critics around the globe. Down Beat magazine calls Astral Project “one of the most distinctive and cohesive groups in jazz” while Off Beat calls them “the finest modern jazz ensemble in New Orleans and undoubtedly one of the most unique jazz groups period.”

Roberta Gambarini with the Eric Gunnison Trio
Celebrated throughout the world by fans, critics, and many of the world’s greatest musicians, Roberta Gambarini is a Grammy Award nominee who has graced the stages of the most prestigious venues and festivals in the world. Hank Jones, who provided accompaniment for the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday and Nat “King” Cole called Gambarini the best singer to emerge in over 60 years.

Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band
Twenty-two teenagers from Utah can make a lot of noise - especially when they happen to be members of the Crescent Super Band.  Under the direction of founder Caleb Chapman, the band has stunned audiences worldwide, from New York to the Netherlands. With a youthful energy and nearly unbelieveable performance level, the band has performed hip, intelligent arrangements of the American standards for thousands.  As a result, they have frequently been hailed as the top band of their type in the world.

Guest of Honor: Roy Hargrove
Two-time Grammy award winner Roy Hargrove will be the esteemed guest of honor for 2012. Hargrove is the youngest guest of honor at 42 years old and the first trumpet player. Having worked with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, rapper Common, and English acid jazz DJ/producer Gilles Peterson, very rarely do you find a musician who plays on such an elite level across as many jazz genres as Hargrove.

Tickets range from $99 for a standard 3-Day Pass to $149 for All Access Passes. Prices for passes will increase after
February 29^th, so act now!

For more information, visit TellurideJazz.org.

Telluride Jazz Festival
August 3-5, 2012

Telluride Town Park
500 E. Colorado Ave
Telluride, CO 81435

Fur Peace Ranch Hits the Road in 2012

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Parent Category: Other Festivals

Category: Music

Published on Thursday, 16 February 2012 10:00

Written by Sean Cusack

For the first time, Wanee Music Festival will host one of the foremost music workshops in the country, Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch. Named “the real school of rock” by Paste magazine, the Fur Peace Ranch-- lead by Jorma Kaukonen, founder of the mega-popular band Jefferson Airplane-- has gained international acclaim for its unparalleled instruction in the performance of American Folk and Blues music styles.

Taking place April 19 – 21^st at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL, Fur Peace will feature both intimate workshops and general session Q&A’s featuring Kaukonen as well as musical legends Jack Casady, Mickey Hart, Oteil Burbridge, Warren Haynes and more.

Some of the events to be hosted include: 

Double Dose of Jarma Kaukonen and Jack Casady
A special Fur Peace Ranch workshop for guitar and bass students. Jorma and Jack will combine their teaching efforts and give this rare guitar/bass class together in a unique due workshop. If you want to learn the secrets of this dynamic duo’s 50 year career this is your chance.

Warren Haynes and Jorma Kaukonen Tales
Warren Haynes, one of the best and most respected guitarists in the world today, sits down for an intimate chat with Jorma to discuss his 30+ year career, including his time playing for The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, and The Dead. A discussion on making it in the music industry from the best of the best.

Planet Earth Drum with Mickey Hart
A discussion on rhythm and percussion in history and across cultures lead by Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead. Mickey, whose album, Planet Drum, remained in the top spot on the Billboard World Music chart and received a Grammy Award for Best World Music Album, will lead attendees on a world tour of the history of the drum and percussion rhythms.

Wake Up with Oteil Burbridge
A bass improvisation clinic lead by Oteil Burbridge, a Grammy Award-nominated bassist from The Allman Brothers Band hailed for his innovative combination of scat-singing and use of bass chords in improvisational solos. 

Workshops are $75 each, while Q&A’s are $50. Due to the limited time available for these workshops and to preserve their quality and intimacy for attendees, space is limited to 25 students per session unless otherwise noted. Workshops and clinics are open to musicians of all levels. Applications will be reviewed on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The Fur Peace Ranch is a center of musical activity and one which every musician can learn and benefit from.

For more information, visit FurPeaceRanch.org/wanee12.html.

Fur Peace Ranch at Wanee Music Festival
April 19-21, 2012

The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
3076 95^th Drive
Live Oak, FL 32060