The Week in Jazz is your roundup of new and noteworthy stories from the jazz world. It’s a one-stop destination for the music news you need to know. Let’s take it from the top.
Noteworthy
Ivors Composers Awards 2020 Announced: The Ivors Academy, the British independent professional association for music creators, has announced the nomination for The Ivors Composer Awards 2020. The Awards celebrate the best new works by composers writing for classical, jazz and sound art. Winners will be announced on December 1. Click here for a full list of nominees.
National Jazz Museum in Harlem Event With Jazz Historian Jeff Gold: The National Jazz Museum in Harlem, New York, will be hosting an interview event with author Jeff Gold on November 23. His latest book, Sittin’ In, is out now and tells the little-known story of America’s jazz clubs of the ’40s and ’50s. It also includes first-person accounts from iconic musicians Sonny Rollins and Quincy Jones, and preeminent jazz historian Dan Morgenstern, among others.
Walt Disney Records to Release Two Soundtrack Albums for Soul: Two soundtrack albums will be released ahead of the Christmas Day premiere of Pixar’s new animated feature Soul on Disney+. One features the score from composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The other features all the jazz songs and arrangements written and performed by Jon Batiste. Both will be released on December 18 via Walt Disney Records.
Dave Brubeck Home Is For Sale: Jazz icon Dave Brubeck’s seven-bedroom mid-century house in Wilton, Connecticut, is up for sale, The Spaces reports. The home was designed by architect Beverley David Thorne and was the musician’s reward to his family to celebrate the success of his seminal 1959 album, Time Out. It is now listed for the first time ever via Monica Webster of Douglas Elliman for $2.75m.
New Release Cheat Sheet
Lauren Henderson, Classic Christmas (Brontosaurus): Lauren Henderson will release a new EP, Classic Christmas, featuring contemporary takes on four classic gems – “My Favorite Things,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “What a Wonderful World.” The EP is due out on November 13 via her own Brontosaurus Records and follows The Songbook Sessions, released earlier this year.
Avishai Cohen, The 50 Gold Selection (RazdazRecordz/naïve): Bassist/composer Avishai Cohen celebrates his 50th birthday with a brand new vinyl collection of his most popular songs chosen by fans through a 2019 fan survey. The songs are collected in a limited edition 6-LP vinyl box set also includes a 32-page hardcover book with notes written personally by Cohen, rare photos, a special poster and other exclusive content. The 50 Gold Selection is due out on November 27 and is available now for pre-order.
Doug Carn, Doug Carn JID005 (Jazz Is Dead): Producers Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have announced Doug Carn JID005, their collaboration with multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Doug Carn. The album marks the latest entry in their Jazz Is Dead series and will be released on December 14. “Doug Carn reigns as one of the greatest jazz organists of all time,” says Younge. “Doug Carn JID005 is a testament to his continued legacy and funky contributions to jazz.”
Veronica Swift, This Bitter Earth (Mack Avenue): Veronica Swift takes on sexism, domestic abuse, racism and other social issues via a program of classic and covers of songs by such artists as Marvin Gaye, Kate Bush and Mary J. Blige on her new album, This Bitter Earth, due out in early 2021 via Mack Avenue. The music presents a blend of multiple genres, including jazz, American musicals, vintage R&B and contemporary rock, and is performed by Swift alongside a lineup of kindred spirits Emmet Cohen, Armand Hirsch, Aaron Johnson, Yasushi Nakamura and Bryan Carter.
John Mayall, The First Generation 1965-1974 (Madfish/Snapper): A 35-disc collection of early recordings of John Mayall will be released on January 29 via Madfish/Snapper. The box set, titled The First Generation 1965-1974, provides unprecedented insight on the formative career of the British blues rocker. It features albums, singles, live recordings and unreleased discs, plus a hardback book and more.
Live Music and Festival News
Big Ears Presents Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival: Sites & Sounds from Big Ears, the pandemic-response streaming initiative launched by the Big Ears Festival, is presenting a five-week, 15-show Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival, offering a portrait of the country’s unique and varied jazz scene. The festival kicked off on November 6 and will run through December 31, with performances by Bugge Wesseltoft, Tord Gustavsen, Mathias Eick and more, filmed at the Sentralen performing arts center in Oslo, Norway. Click here for tickets.
Van Gelder Studio Launches New Music Series: Van Gelder Studio, the iconic recording studio home to hundreds of jazz stars, will launch a new live music series online on November 14 that is expected to continue through 2021 with a 10-show immersive and interactive program. The first show will be a tribute to saxophone great Hank Mobley performed by a star-studded quartet with Ron Carter, Joe Lovano, Isaiah J. Thompson and Kenny Washington.
Luba Mason Presents New Album in Concert: Vocalist Luba Mason will present her new album, Triangle, in concert on November 20 at 9 p.m. ET. The concert was filmed at an intimate gathering at Manhattan’s renowned Power Station studio. Triangle is out now and features a unique lineup of voice, vibraphone and bass. You can find out more about it in our interview with the Broadway and recording artist via the player below.
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