Latest news with #JazzAppreciationMonth
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
BCB After Dark: Grade the Cubs' first month
It's Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Thanks for stopping by. We're always glad to see you. Let us know if you need anything. There are still a few tables available. Bring your own beverage. BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon. Advertisement The Cubs lost to the Pirates tonight, 4-3 in one of those games you say 'They should have won.' The BABIP Gods were against the Cubs tonight. Also, it seemed like no one wanted to play after that incident with the fan at PNC Park. Unfortunately, now the team has to beat the Pirates with Paul Skenes starting or they will lose their second-straight series. Last night I asked you if thought it was time for the Cubs to call up Cade Horton. There was a real division of opinion there, but 38 percent think the Cubs should wait until at least Memorial Day. Another 31 percent voted to call him up now and 18 percent think he should stay in Iowa until the All-Star Break at least. Here's the part where we listen to music and talk movies. You're welcome to skip that. You won't hurt my feelings. Today (April 30) is International Jazz Day at the end of Jazz Appreciation Month. One of the events of Jazz Appreciation Month is the honoring of the new NEA Jazz Masters. One of this year's inductees is Cuban pianist Chucho Valdés. Here's Valdés playing one of those NPR Tiny Desk Concerts last summer. I don't have any film to write about tonight. I watched Alias Nick Beal (1949) and I don't have much to say about it other than Ray Milland was a good Devil. Advertisement So I thought I'd just throw the floor open to you and ask 'What films would you like me to write about?' If there's a film that you are curious about my take on it, tell me in the comments and maybe I'll write about it. I don't write about the big classics like Casablanca, The Godfather, Some Like it Hot, Gone With the Wind, Raiders of the Lost Ark and so on because I think there are enough words spilled all over the internet on those films and I don't know what I would say that would be any more enlightening. I also don't do recent, 21st century films, unless they are obscure indie fare. Again, there are lots of people on the internet writing about Sinners and you don't need my take. (I haven't seen it anyway.) But if there is some classic films you'd like me to write about, tell me in the comments and tell everyone why they should watch it. I'm not saying that I will watch and write about it, but I will consider it. The vast majority of the films I watch are viewable on one of the streaming services I subscribe to so if what you suggest isn't available on one of them, I probably won't write about it. Or at least I won't until it shows up on one of them. Someone asked me to watch Ikiru a while ago and I swear it is in my watch list on the Criterion Channel. The problem is that Ikiru is part of Criterion's permanent collection and I'm always struggling to watch all the films on that channel that are only available for two or three months before they disappear. Advertisement It doesn't have to be a movie you've seen. It can be something you've always wanted to see but haven't gotten around to it. Even if I don't end up getting any workable suggestions, this gives you all a chance to talk about the movies you want to talk about rather than me dictating the conversation. Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies. We've finished the first month of the season and it was a long month, since the month of April started in Tokyo on March 18. It was a 31-game month. There was much written, including by me, about how tough this first month of the season has been. They finished their season series with three NL West powerhouses already, the Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Padres. In fact, until the Cubs faced off against the Pirates yesterday, every team they played in March/April has a winning record at the end of the month. Advertisement Despite that schedule, the Cubs finish the month at 18-13 and in first place in the NL Central, two games ahead of the Reds and Brewers. There are a lot of good things to say about the month. The offense is the best in the majors. Kyle Tucker has been a huge addition. Pete Crow-Armstrong is showing himself to be a possible future superstar and Michael Busch has taken a step forward over his rookie year as well. The catchers have been ridiculously good—so good that no one believes that they'll keep it up. On the other hand, Justin Steele is out for the year after elbow surgery. Dansby Swanson has struggled, although he's showing signs of coming out of it in Pittsburgh. The bullpen has been unpredictable, and not really in a good way. So give the Cubs a grade for the first month. Thank you for stopping by this evening and all week. We appreciate all of you who read, vote and comment. Please get home safely. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next time for more BCB After Dark. Advertisement More from
CBS News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Philadelphia jazz singer reclaims the mic with new lyrics and a modern message
Meet Lora Sherrodd: the jazz musician putting a fresh spin on an old genre Meet Lora Sherrodd: the jazz musician putting a fresh spin on an old genre Meet Lora Sherrodd: the jazz musician putting a fresh spin on an old genre This Jazz Appreciation Month, a Philadelphia jazz artist is putting a fresh spin on an old genre — using her lyrics to speak directly to today's women. Singer, composer and arranger Lora Sherrodd is currently crowdfunding for the 2026 release of her jazz album, "The Boss," which reimagines jazz through a modern, female perspective. While sticking to the traditional musical structure of jazz, Sherrodd writes entirely original lyrics — ones she says reflect her own life and the lives of women she knows. "I fell in love with jazz really young," Sherrodd said. "I was 12 when my mom was in a swing band — I would go to her rehearsals." Sherrodd grew up watching her mom play bass, and she later studied jazz professionally in college and graduate studies. But even as her musical skills developed, she says she didn't always have the tools to tell her own stories on stage. "Most of the music that we sing in jazz is written by men, from a male perspective," Sherrodd said. "Even songs about love are written from a male gaze." Much of the jazz vocal canon includes songs about longing for male affection or lyrics Sherrodd finds outdated — like the 1960s tune "Girl Talk," which describes women chatting about dresses, hair, and men, with lines like, "The weaker sex, the speaker sex, we mortal males, behold." "For me, I don't really connect to the lyrics, so it's not something I want to be a part of my set," she said. Instead, she began writing her own songs — including the empowering title track, "The Boss," inspired by the Girl Scouts' "Ban Bossy" campaign. Cody Cooper "At the time, I was the only woman in my jazz program, and that feeling is always there — am I being bossy, or am I just running rehearsal?" Sherrodd said. Another track, "Une femme d'un certain âge" (French for "A woman of a certain age," a term used to describe older women) is a love letter to getting older, with lyrics like: "Pepper and salt don't only season a plate... I can't wait to be a woman of a certain age..." In "Twenty-Something," she tackles the pressures placed on young women. "They keep on asking me questions… when will you marry, have some kids…go start a family..." Across all nine tracks, Sherrodd keeps the swing, harmony and form of jazz intact — but rewrites the message. "We're still swinging, we've still got the harmony, we've still got the forms," she said. "I love the genre. And that's why I want to make it relatable." Jonathan Lane Sherrodd is currently crowdfunding the album, which she hopes to release in 2026. Her message to jazz fans — and to the genre itself? "I'm the boss." Sherrodd's fundraising concert takes place Thursday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Black Squirrel Club in Fishtown.
Forbes
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Music From 1962 Brubeck/Armstrong Album To Be Performed Live In NYC
Jazz at Lincoln Center is presenting four concerts this weekend that will reimagine Louis Armstrong's and Dave Brubeck's 1962 album, The Real Ambassadors. Iola Brubeck and Dave Brubeck during Dave Brubeck Receives The High Note Of Acheivement Award In New York City at Cafe Gray - Time Warner Center in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Jason Kempin/FilmMagic) The concerts, part of JALC's Jazz Appreciation Month celebration, will take place in the Appel Room tonight, April 4, at 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. ET, and tomorrow, April 5 at 4:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET. The shows tonight also will be available for streaming at The concerts are a collaboration between Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Louis Armstrong House Museum in Corona, Queens. Among the jazz musicians who will perform are Brubeck's son, trombonist Chris, singer Shenel Johns, Jazz at Lincoln Center saxophonist Camille Thurman, singer Vuyo Sotashe, singer C. Anthony Bryant and actor Daniel J. Watts. Also performing will be drummer Jake Goldbas; he is directing the concerts and is the former artistic director of programs at the Armstrong House Museum. Keith Hatschek, director emeritus of music industry studies at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., wrote a multi-award-winning book, published by the University Press of Mississippi, about Armstrong's and and Brubeck's collaboration on the album. According to the press, Hatschek tells the story 'of three determined artists: Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck and Iola Brubeck (Dave's wife and a lyricist) and the stand they took against segregation by writing and performing a jazz musical titled The Real Ambassadors. First conceived by the Brubecks in 1956, the musical's journey to the stage for its 1962 premiere tracks extraordinary twists and turns across the backdrop of the civil rights movement. A variety of colorful characters, from Broadway impresarios to gang-connected managers, surface in the compelling storyline. 'During the Cold War, the U.S. State Department enlisted some of America's greatest musicians to serve as jazz ambassadors, touring the world to trumpet a so-called 'free society.' Honored as celebrities abroad, the jazz ambassadors, who were overwhelmingly African Americans, returned home to racial discrimination and deferred dreams. The Brubecks used this double standard as the central message for the musical, deploying humor and pathos to share perspectives on American values. 'On September 23, 1962, The Real Ambassadors's stunning debut moved a packed arena at the Monterey Jazz Festival to laughter, joy, and tears. Although critics unanimously hailed the performance, it sadly became a footnote in cast members' bios. The enormous cost of reassembling the star-studded cast made the creation impossible to stage and tour. H 'However, The Real Ambassadors: Dave and Iola Brubeck and Louis Armstrong Challenge Segregation caps this jazz story by detailing how the show was triumphantly revived in 2013 by the Detroit Jazz Festival and in 2014 by Jazz at Lincoln Center. This reaffirmed the musical's place as an integral part of America's jazz history and served as an important reminder of how artists' voices are a powerful force for social change.' In an interview with this week, Goldbas—who actually performed with Dave Brubeck when he was in high school in Connecticut, as did Johns—said he was grateful to Jazz at Lincoln Center 'for championing these stories of integration and cultural exchange and community and togetherness that we need to have more than ever.'
Associated Press
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
The Recording Industry's Music Performance Trust Fund Projects Grants of More than $1 Million to Communities Celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month in April 2025
Month-long investment throughout North America intends to benefit individuals and communities sharing this treasured American art form NEW YORK, NY / ACCESS Newswire / March 4, 2025 / The recording industry's Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF), a leading non-profit organization enriching lives and uniting communities through the power of music, is on track to distribute over $1,000,000 in grants for admission-free live concerts this April for Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). This is the second consecutive year that the dollar value of the grants, which pay professional jazz musicians to perform, will achieve that level. Last year, the funds supported 750 performances throughout the U.S. and Canada in April alone, including 75 that were live streamed through the MPTF's Facebook page. MPTF Trustee Dan Beck stated, 'Regional pockets of live jazz are alive and well across North America, and it is fundamental to the genre. The local offices of the American Federation of Musicians do a tremendous job of organizing these performances for their communities and for their musicians.' The MPTF plays a vital role in support of the music industry's gig economy. Primarily funded by four major record companies, including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Walt Disney Records, the independently run organization has distributed millions of dollars in financial resources and grants, engaging professional musicians who are members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) to perform live in admission-free events across North America. Since its founding in 1948, the MPTF has distributed more than $630 million (USD) in sponsorship money. The annual campaign, themed by the MPTF as 'Jazz Across America,' features the support of website partners and where performer and event location information for most of the performances are being listed. These websites boast the world's largest jazz events calendars and reach a combined 240,000 viewers per month. All live stream events will be featured on the MPTF Facebook page at Beck added, 'Tuning in to live stream performance events as they happen is a unique way the public can experience jazz musicians from various locales throughout the U.S. and Canada.' Jazz performances have been supported by the MPTF since it began more than 75 years ago, and over 1,600 regional jazz concerts have been funded since the end of the pandemic. With this year's projections, the fund will have distributed more than $3.1 million in Jazz Across America grants to compensate these fine musicians. Events will be organized by American Federation of Musicians locals to ensure fair compensation for all performers. ### About the MPTF: The recording industry's Music Performance Trust Fund is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit public service organization whose mission is to support admission-free, live events performed by professional musicians throughout the United States and Canada. We seek to enrich the lives of the public, young and old, through music, and to contribute to the public's knowledge and appreciation of music. We also seek to make music and music education an exciting experience, and to expand it to every child's life experience. The MPTF was established 75 years ago by recording companies including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. Interested parties may contact Samantha Ramos, Director of Grant Management, at [email protected] or visit About All About Jazz: All About Jazz (AAJ) has been a pillar of the jazz community since 1995, championing the music as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Their enduring commitment has made AAJ one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of enthusiasts, musicians and industry figures every month. For more information, contact Michael Ricci at [email protected].
