Jazz and Blues

Blues singer Janiva Magness just released a new CD, Stronger For It, and was recently in town performing at Jazz Alley. She and her 4-piece band visited KPLU’s Seattle Studio and performed 4 songs from the new CD. It’s her 9th release, but the first to feature songs written by her.

Chances are you know the song “My Babe”, made popular by Little Walter in 1955. Except for the lyrics, “My Babe” is nearly identical to the gospel song “This Train is Bound For Glory”, a song that reaches back to the 1920’s.

Halie Loren talks with Groove Notes about her most recent release, “Heart First” – which rose to number one on the iTunes Canada Jazz chart – her path to becoming a jazz singer, her success in other countries and what it takes to convincingly sing a song that she didn’t write.

Read the story on Groove Notes.

Percussionist Lary Barilleau leads his new Latin Jazz Collective on the next Jazz Northwest, Sunday, May 20 at 1 pm PDT on 88.5, KPLU.   The concert was this month's installment of the Art of Jazz series presented by Earshot Jazz at The Seattle Art Museum. The quintet played music ranging from Latin Jazz classics to newer compositions by Lary Barilleau and Jay Thomas. 

Drummer Jack DeJohnette was 23 years old when he made his first recording with The Charles Lloyd Quartet in 1966.  Since that time he’s been a driving (and we do mean ‘driving’) force in the world of jazz.  This year he’ll be celebrating his birthday (August 9th) all year long with a number of special events, such as his current tour with his old friends, Chick Corea on piano and Stanley Clarke on bass.

The Pacific Northwest is blessed with outstanding jazz talent from Portland to Vancouver, BC and this week on Jazz Northwest we'll feature some new releases by some of them.  Former Seattle resident Dee Daniels now divides her time between New York and Vancouver, BC.  This weekend she's featured at the Grand Opening of the new Bake's Place, Bellevue through Sunday.  Human Spirit, with Thomas Marriott, Mark Taylor, Matt Jorgensen and guests Orrin Evans and Essiet Essiet has a new CD recorded at Tula's during last Fall's Earshot Festival.  

More links from this week:

• Interesting discussions at George Colligan's blog this week. An informed opinion on the charge that music schools produce "cookie cutter" musicians. Some thoughts on sight reading, that misunderstood skill among the jazz community. And a low brass forum erupts.