A line of fans young and old hoping to see a show that had sold out of advance tickets stretched past a nearby ramen shop...This was a Jazz show, mind you. In 2012.” From a recent performance review, The Los Angeles Times simply states the future of Jazz is bright with rising saxophonist Walter Smith III. Although it may appear Smith is a young gun on the scene at age 33, he is widely recognized as an adept performer, accomplished composer, and inspired educator. Smith’s debut recording as a leader was released in March of 2006 on the Fresh Sound New Talent label and features many of the brightest young Jazz talents. His sophomore release, titled Live in France, was released in October 2009 to critical acclaim. His most recent album, III, was a top 10 best seller on iTunes. Walter will release his latest project still casual worldwide on September 9, 2014. In the Jazz tradition, Smith has developed under the wings of many of the music’s greats. Walter is/has been a member of several legendary groups (recording and touring) including the Terence Blanchard Quintet, Eric Harland's Voyager band, Roy Haynes "Fountain of Youth" band, Jason Moran’s Big Bandwagon, and the Christian McBride Situation band. Smith has performed all over the world participating in numerous international festivals as well as famed venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. In addition, he has shared the stage and/or appeared on recordings with many Jazz notables including Roy Haynes, Eric Reed, Mulgrew Miller, Joe Lovano, Walter Beasley, Terri Lynne Carrington, and a host of others. To date, Walter has appeared on over 75 recordings that are released worldwide. With his fresh sound and compelling original compositions, Smith is consistently called as a sideman in some of Jazz’s developing and gifted bands including Ambrose Akinmusire's Quintet, Christian Scott's group, and the Sean Jones Sextet. Originally from Houston, TX, where he attended Houston’s HSPVA, Smith now resides in the Los Angeles, CA area. When not on the road, Walter utilizes his Music Education degree from Berklee College of Music, Master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music, and Graduate Certificate in Performance from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz to enlighten the next generation of Jazz students.
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Below is the track listing for the Boogie Wonderland Show dated 17th February 2018. A link to the show can be found here:
Below is the track listing for the Boogie Wonderland Show dated 15th February 2018. A link to the show can be found here:
Laila Biali would like to reintroduce herself.
The raven-haired musician has won awards (SOCAN Composer of the Year and Keyboardist of the Year at Canada’s National Jazz Awards) and played the world’s most prestigious venues (North Sea Jazz Festival, Tokyo’s Cotton Club, Carnegie Hall). She’s toured with GRAMMY award winners (Chris Botti, Paula Cole, Suzanne Vega) and recorded with an international icon (Sting). In short: She’s established herself as one of Canadian jazz’s brightest young stars. And now, almost two decades into a successful career, she’s ready for a change.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Laila says of her upcoming self-titled album. “I’ve been playing music professionally for years but this album feels, in a way, like a new beginning.”
Led by the funky single, “Got to Love,” LAILA BIALI is the culmination of everything the acclaimed singer-songwriter has achieved thus far. “Writing this album, I felt like a kid in a candy store, wanting to try everything,” Laila explains. “It took some time for me to find my voice as a songwriter, and I didn’t want to pigeonhole myself into any one particular genre.”
The end result is an eclectic-but-focused album that Laila describes as “fully representative.” “There are elements of improvisation, so the jazz is there,” she says. “There’s also an edgier songwriting persona that I think has always been there but took some time to hone in on.”
Catchy, sophisticated, and unlike anything currently on the radio, it’s pop music, but not the kind that can be neatly tagged by an algorithm. Melodies take thrilling left turns and pre-choruses give way to instrumental interludes. One minute Biali is soaring over a bluesy storm of handclaps and hard-charging keyboard riffs (“Got to Love”), the next she is pouring out her soul on an impassioned, slow-burning plea for empathy (“Refugee.”) It’s pop music, but the experimental, distinctly human variety popularized by Regina Spektor, Rachael Yamagata, and Sara Bareilles.
Balancing the competing impulses was a challenge, but the final outcome was worth it. “I’m more excited about this record than any other project of mine to date,” Laila declares. Fans should be too.
Below is the track listing for the Boogie Wonderland Show dated 10th February 2018. A link to the show can be found here:
Below is the tBelow is the track listing for the Boogie Wonderland Show dated 8th February 2018. A link to the show can be found here:
Aki-Rissanen-credit-Dave-Stapleton-0440-559x373
Pianist Aki Rissanen has been quickly rising among the few top forces of Finnish jazz. Over the last years, he has also made a name for himself in the international jazz scene especially as a leader of his own trio. Although originally classically trained, he has always had a heart for improvised music and jazz.
His debut album Amorandom (Edition Records, 2016) with Aki Rissanen Trio was critically acclaimed all around the world and he gained a fast growing reputation on the European scene. The album received praises at home and abroad on prestigious newspapers like the Guardian and jazz magazines like Jazzwise. Finnish main newspaper Helsingin Sanomat selected the album as “The Best Jazz Album of the Year”. The album also won the Finnish Grammy, the Emma Award for the Best Jazz Album in 2016.
Aki Rissanen Trio released their second album Another North in November 2017 on Edition Records. It is an ambitious and rhythmically intense album that raises Aki Rissanen Trio undeniably into the front of the whole European jazz field.
Aki Rissanen studied classical piano for 12 years in Finland and jazz and improvised music at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris, France. He took private lessons in New York, USA and Cologne, Germany in 2005-2008. In 2009, he graduated with a Master’s degree from the Sibelius Academy Jazz Department in Finland after studing jazz piano and composition for 7 years.
His teachers have included Jarmo Savolainen, Jukkis Uotila, Kirmo Lintinen, John Taylor, Jim Beard, Anders Jormin, Hervé Sellin, Markku Hyvärinen, Jouni Kuronen, Seppo Kantonen and Frank Carlberg, to name a few.
In addition to his high merits in the Solo Piano Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival and La Defense competition in France, Rissanen has been best known for his works with saxophonist Dave Liebman on German Ozella Music and trumpeter Verneri Pohjola on British Edition Records and on ACT Music in Germany.
He has shared the stage with UMO Jazz Orchestra, The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Lahti Symphony Orchestra, Dave Liebman, Rick Margitza, Randy Brecker, Sten Sandell, Tim Hagans, Emil Strandberg and Robert Ikiz among others. He has performed in most of the European countries, USA, Japan, China and North Africa.
Besides his trio, he leads a quartet entitled Sininen Syksy featuring classical soprano Mari Palo, guitarist Teemu Viinikainen and drummer Joonas Riippa which performs the music of the Finnish composer Leevi Madetoja. He co-leads the trio entitled Aleatoric with Robin Verheyen (sax) and Markku Ounaskari (drums) and the quartet featuring the sax legend Dave Liebman. Other groups include Verneri Pohjola Quartet, Mikko Hassinen Elektro GT and Lauri Porra Flyover. He has released 10 albums as a leader or co-leader in UK, USA, France, Sweden and Finland.
Below is the track listing for the Crazeology Radio show dated 3rd February 2018. A link to the show can be found here:
Below is the track listing for the Boogie Wonderland Show dated 1st February 2018. A link to the show can be found here:
Below is the track listing for the Crazeology Radio show dated 27th January 2018. A link to the show can be found here:
Below is the track listing for the Boogie Wonderland Show dated 25th January 2018. A link to the show can be found here:
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. CategoriesArchives
October 2019
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