2011

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CD/DOWNLOAD/ALBUM: Norah Jones and the Music She Loves

It took Norah Jones precisely one year to become a household name. Her debut album, “Come Away With Me,” was released in February 2002, and by the following February it had sold four million copies and she had won five Grammys.

A side project she created the following year is less well known. As a diversion from the pressures of following up one of the best-selling debuts of all time, Ms. Jones and four friends formed the band the Little Willies (named after her childhood hero, Willie Nelson) and began playing her favorite country songs at a series of unannounced gigs at the Living Room, a tiny music venue in New York…

TV/FILM: An ‘Incredibly Close’ Call for Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Hollywood has been incorporating classical music since the advent of sound, but pianist Jean Yves Thibaudet hopes that in the 21st century, classical music will start incorporating Hollywood more often.

Says the French virtuoso: “The relationship between the classical music world and the movies, they can learn a lot working together. The collaboration is important…

INTERVIEW/PROFILE: The Sunday Conversation: Elton John

Elton John will be up for a Golden Globe for song for “Hello, Hello” (co-written with longtime collaborator Bernie Taupin) from the film “Gnomeo and Juliet” on Jan. 15. John’s third Globe nod comes amid a whirlwind of activity for the 64-year-old pop legend.

Your nominated song is a duet with Lady Gaga, whom I know you are very artistically simpatico with. How did that happen…

PERFORMANCE/TOUR: Faces to Watch in 2012: Pop Music, Classical and Jazz

The last 18 months have a been a whirlwind for Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno, who form the L.A. band Best Coast. They released their debut full length, “Crazy for You,” on the humble Brooklyn label Mexican Summer in July 2010, and over the following months the record built up steam until it had become an underground touchstone, the kind that zipped from fan to fan without airplay or a viral video…

Life After Django Reinhardt Is a Joyful Tribute to Genius

For gypsy jazz enthusiasts, the name Django Reinhardt is synonymous with the genre.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Winter/spring 2012 jazz preview, part 3

Today, we end 2011 with the third and final part of our preview of jazz and creative musicians who are coming to St.

Spoleto Festival Announces 2012 Lineup – News

Mavis Staples, Rebirth Brass Band among jazz offerings at South Carolina fes

EVENT: Blue Whale Residency Part I: Anthony Wilson Trio, LA Jazz Quartet, Otto / Ferber / Wilson / Ferber / Nelson / Dumas

LAJC Residency, Part I Wednesday, January 4, 8pm Blue Whale, Los Angeles, CA

In the music-art world there are a number of ways to program events. Two of the most common are festivals and residencies. Festivals essentially allow a promoter to present a diversity of bands and artists over a concentrated amount of time, be it a weekend, a week, or a month, but the benefit is to be able to promote a lot of music all at the same time, which is cost-effective. Economics! Residencies, on the other hand, usually involve a single venue, such as a club or gallery, and it usually features a single artist who is given a number of days to carry out his/her artistic vision for an audience. Usually the artist gets paid, which is good. Hopefully the artist has enough of a following to attract a lot people over the course of the residency to justify being there. What is implied is that the owner of the venue believes in the artist enough to risk giving a chunk of their available programming time to that artist…

CONTEST/GIVEAWAY: Quiescence Music Kicks Off New Year with Free Lesson and Book!

A New Year is here. And to celebrate, the online piano lessons site QuiescenceMusic.com is giving away a free piano lesson and book that promises to teach adults how to improvise and compose their own music.

The website, owned and operated by pianist/composer Edward Weiss has been a steady staple since Weiss launched the site in 2000…

OPINION: Matthew Shipp Counts His Blessings for 2011

Matthew Shipp’s ten highlights of the year

1.The reception of my cd “Art of the Improviser”.

2. Gigging with my trio with m: Michael Bisio and m: Whit Dickey,not only great players, but incredible people to share road life with.

3. Recording my upcoming 2012 CD Elastic Aspects with my trio of Bisio and Dickey…