Jazz News: Artists respond to Trump-Kennedy Center rebrand; Jazz Congress in NYC and Jazz Educators in NOLA this week!
This is Jazz News, a look at what’s news in jazz, music, and the arts.
Is jazz political? Is art political? Yes and no. As one of America’s indigenous musical art forms, jazz by its nature has a way of bringing genres and diverse peoples together.
Jazz also has a way of speaking truth to power, musically, lyrically, and programmatically. When the President put his name over The Kennedy Center just before Christmas, a couple of jazz dates immediately cancelled. First, percussionist Chuck Redd cancelled his annual Christmas Eve concert. Then the supergroup The Cookers pulled out of their New Years Eve performance.
Back last February when the President quickly rebuilt the Kennedy Center board and executives in his own image, writer-actor Issa Rae and the producers of "Hamilton" cancelled their shows, and musicians Ben Folds and Renee Fleming stepped down from advisory roles.
Director of the Kennedy Center Richard Grenell says those who cancelled shows were booked by the previous far left leadership. Now, says Grennell, the Center has been "flooded with inquiries from real artists willing to perform for everyone and who reject political statements in their artistry."
(Source: PBS News)
Jazz Congress is this week in New York, produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Panels and workshops will break down new opportunities and tactics to manage technology, how to handle the grueling logistics of touring, the building of new instruments, what’s now in jazz, awards, and plenty of performances. There’s even a session on how to get your music into film, TV and commercials.
Actor Wendell Pierce of New Orleans (detective Bunk Moreland in HBO’s “The Wire” and trombonist Antoine Batiste in HBO’s “Treme”) gives the keynote address on Wednesday afternoon.
By the way, the 21st Winter Jazzfest kicks off Thursday, January 8 with an amazing array of next-gen artist showcases and talks. We’ll share more on Winter Jazzfest and the APAP / Association of Performing Arts Professionals conference as we get closer.
(Source: Jazz Congress)
The annual Jazz Educators conference in New Orleans this week has three Colorado groups at various sessions. The Annie Booth Big Band and two groups from Greeley, the University of Northern Colorado Compass Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Dana Landry, and the Northern Colorado Voices, under the direction of Marion Powers.
(Source: Jazz Education Network)
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