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
Giant Step Arts to Release Two Live Albums on Juneteenth: Giant Step Arts, helmed by photographer/engineer Jimmy Katz, has announced two thrilling new live albums captured at a historic site in Central Park in the midst of the COVID pandemic, which will be released on June 19, 2022 (Juneteenth). They are Jason Palmer Quartet’s Live from Summit Rock in Seneca Village and The Summit Rock Session by the Burton/McPherson Trio featuring Dezron Douglas. More here.
Gerald Clayton Talks About New Album on “First Look”: Pianist/composer Gerald Clayton spoke about his latest album, Bells on Sand, with Blue Note President Don Was on the latest episode of First Look. The album explores the impact and abstraction of time over ten tracks of fresh orchestration and original music with contributions from his father John Clayton on bass and his mentor Charles Lloyd on saxophone. Order it here.
Carnegie Hall Announces NYO Jazz 2022 Teen Musicians: Carnegie Hall has announced the names of 22 young musicians chosen from across the United States for NYO, an intensive summer program nurturing and showcasing the talents of exceptional young American jazz instrumentalists. Led by Artistic Director Sean Jones, NYO Jazz 2022 members, aged 16-19, will have the opportunity to play alongside talented pers, learn from world-class jazz masters and perform in concerts in U.S. cities. More here.
Anna Gréta Wins Big at Icelandic Music Awards: Anna Gréta has received two Icelandic Music Awards for her ACT debut album, Nightjar in the Northern Sky, released late last year. The pianist/singer/songwriter received awards for Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. You can find out more about the artist and Nightjar in the Northern Sky in our JAZZIZ Travel podcast conversation with Anna Gréta via the player below.
Blue Note Africa Launches: Blue Note Records and Universal Music Group Africa have announced the creation of a new imprint dedicated to signing jazz artists from across the African content. Its aim is to bring these artists to a global audience and promote the cultural exchange of ideas transcending borders. Blue Note Africa will officially launch this spring with the release of pianist/composer Nduduzo Makhathini’s newest album, In the Spirit of Ntu, due out May 27.
Tangerine Records Announces Upcoming Ray Charles Releases: Tangerine Records, founded by Ray Charles in 1962, has announced two upcoming releases. On May 6, it will release a recently-unearthed, previously-unknown live recording of Ray Charles in Sweden, Ray Charles Live in Stockholm. On June 17, it will release a special 50th anniversary remastered edition of one of his most impactful albums, A Message to the People. Pre-order them here.
New and Upcoming Albums
Juanita Euka, Mabanzo (Strut): Vocalist Juanita Euka, also known as London Afrobeat Collective’s frontwoman and niece of Congolese rumba legend Franco Luambo, will release her debut solo album, Mabanzo, on March 25 via Strut. From contemporary Congolese guitar to Afro-Cuban workouts, the album brings together her many and varied musical influences into play. Order it here.
Miles Okazaki’s Trickster Quartet, Thisness (Pi): Guitarist Miles Okazaki describes his new album, Thisness, as “a sound that discards notions of logic and control and strives toward something more like collective dreaming.” Thisness, released on March 25, is his third album with his band Trickster featuring keyboardist Matt Mitchell, bassist Anthony Tidd, and drummer Sean Rickman, and his third full-length for Pi Recordings. Order it here.
Mark Turner Quartet, Return from the Stars (ECM): Saxophonist Mark Turner leads an exploratory, thought-provoking journey in his latest release, Return from the Stars, released on March 25. His all-star quartet with Jason Palmer, Joe Martin and Jonathan Pinson lacks a chordal instrument and keeps the conversational possibilities in the music wide open, giving the players plenty of space in which to move. Order it here.
Chiara Izzi, Live in Bremen (Dot Time): New York-based, Italian-born vocalist Chiara Izzi’s new album, Live in Bremen, is an intimate set of live piano/vocal duets with pianist Andrea Rea. Its seven tracks blend stories sung in multiple languages and inspired by music traditions of various cultures, creating an intimate and universal auditory experience for listeners all over the world. The album was released on March 11 and you can order it HERE.
Live Music and Festival News
Healdsburg Jazz Festival Announces 2022 Lineup: The Healdsburg Jazz Festival has announced the lineup of its 24th edition, which will run from June 13-19 in Healdsburg, California. The festival will present seven days of local and international artists, including NEA Jazz Masters Dave Holland and Kenny Barron, blues legend Charlie Musselwhite, vocalists Bobi Céspdes and Paula West, and more. Festival performances will take place at indoor and outdoor venues and sites throughout Healdsburg and there will also be curated pairings of music and dance, spoken word and food, and a free daylong Juneteenth celebration. More here.
Monterey Jazz Festival Announces 2022 Lineup: The Monterey Jazz Festival (MJF) in Monterey, California, will celebrate its 65th anniversary on September 22-25. The festival has announced a stellar lineup for this year, including Gregory Porter, Butcher Brown, Brande Younger, Keyon Harrold, Kurt Elling and many others. The lineup also boasts the debut of a new edition of the MJF on Tour ensemble led by MJF Artist-in-Residence, MJF on Tour director and pianist Christian Sands. The supergroup includes Dee Dee Bridgewater, Elling, Lakecia Benjamin, Yasushi Nakamura and Clarence Penn. More here.
Arts for Art Announces 2022 Vision Festival Lineup: Arts for Art has announced the full schedule and lineup of the 2022 Vision festival, which will be taking place at Roulette and The Clemente in NYC from June 21-June 26. The theme of this year is “A Light in Darkness,” inspired by one of William Parker’s songs. The festival’s program will feature several great events, including celebrations of two of the brightest lights in free jazz, Wadada Leo Smith and Oliver Lake. Both artists will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards, on the opening and closing nights of the festival, respectively. More here.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Celebrates Chick Corea: Jazz at Lincoln Center announced new dates for Celebrating Chick Corea, previously postponed due to the Omicron Wave. On April 15-16, a group of renowned performers will join forces in Rose Theater to pay tribute to the pianist/composer with a genre-bending selection of influential and beloved compositions from his career. The star-studded event will feature music direction by bassist John Patitucci. This program is presented as part of the Ertegun Jazz Concert Series. More here.
23rd Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Panama City Beach, April 20-24: The 23rd Annual Seabreeze Jazz Festival will take place in Panama City Beach from April 20-24, showcasing some of the best smooth jazz artists in the country. The lineup of notable artists performing at this year’s edition includes Boney James, Norman Brown, Jazz in Pink, Peabo Bryson and more. In addition to the festival’s many events, visitors can also explore the coast on a Seabreeze Jazz Cruise or attend its nightly After-Party Shows. More here.
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