November 2011

Like most of the mariachi musicians milling about Plaza Garibaldi this early morning waiting for work, Juan Ramon Ramirez had his hands in his pockets, not on the strings of his vihuela. It was cold, and there weren’t many customers out looking for a song. Not even just a few days after Mexico’s most well-known musical tradition got a dose of good news…

The Jay Vonada Trio, based in State College PA, will release their debut CD Red Pajamas on January 21, 2012. The group consists of Jay Vonada on Trombone, Alex Sell on Organ and Kevin Lowe on the drums. The album will feature nine original compositions, seven by Vonada and one each by Sell and Lowe…

Jimmy Owens&#151Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Wycliffe Gordon&#151Trombone, Marcus Strickland&#151Tenor Saxophone, Howard Johnson&#151Tuba, Baritone, Saxophone, Kenny Barron&#151Piano, Kenny Davis&#151Bass, Winard Harper&#151Drums

NEA Jazz Master Jimmy Owens’ debut as a leader on IPO features the legendary trumpeter/flugelhornist leading a stellar septet on a program of his own uniquely original arrangements of Thelonious Monk compositions that are deeply steeped in the feeling of the blues. Owens, who has been heard on countless big band and small group recordings as a virtuoso sideman&#151including exemplary work on IPO’s One More: Music of Thad Jones, Summary&#151Music of Thad Jones Vol 2 and With Malice Toward None: The Music Of Tom McIntosh&#151has recorded only sporadically as leader, making this date a special one. Longtime colleague, fellow NEA Jazz Master, Kenny Barron, well known for playing Monk’s music with the group Sphere, heads the rhythm section and Robin D. G. Kelley, who wrote the prize-winning biography: Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original contributes learned liner notes, helping to make this a very special tribute to one of America’s greatest composers…

In a throwback to the days of yore&#151before email, Twitter, and Facebook put us in a state of perennial communication overload&#151Western Union is bringing back the singing telegram. But this time around, it’s being given a modern twist with the introduction of electronic delivery.

On Thursday the company will launch the microsite wu-singingtelegram.com, which will facilitate sending the audio messages via email. In the past, a singing telegram would be delivered by a Western Union operator, but now the sender can utilize their own voice, or choose one from a lineup of artists who have signed on with the company, including Snoop Dogg, Timbaland, and K’Naan. Thus, the 2011 version will provide a more user-generated experience. The singing telegrams will be free through the rest of 2011, though the company will begin charging a fee at the start of the new year…