Latest news with #saxophonist
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Quick-thinking members of iconic band come to rescue during miserable delayed Alaskan Air flight
An iconic jazz saxophonist and his band unpacked their instruments and delivered an unexpected, high-energy performance that lifted the spirits of weary passengers stranded aboard an Alaskan Airlines flight. More than 100 travelers en route from St. Louis to Seattle were left stranded Tuesday when their flight was suddenly diverted to Boise, Idaho, due to mechanical issues - yet another frustrating setback in air travel, according to San Francisco Chronicle. Among the grounded passengers was 62-year-old Dave Koz, a Grammy-nominated musician set to perform Friday at the Blue Note Summer Sessions held at Napa's Meritage Resort. While the plane awaited repairs on the Boise tarmac and passengers grew restless in silence, the mood aboard the motionless aircraft abruptly shifted. Koz and his Summer Horns 2025 bandmates - Marcus Anderson, Jeff Bradshaw, Leo P, Evan Taylor, and Marcel Anderson - stood up and pulled out their shining gold horns. Moments later, they burst into an electric performance, launching into a vibrant rendition of Stevie Wonder's legendary classic, 'I Haven't Done Nothing.' A powerful blast of trumpets, saxophones, trombones and a tambourine rose in symphony as the band members stood in the aisle, bobbing and moving with infectious energy. In mere seconds, the cramped cabin was transformed into an unforgettable space filled with joyous passengers. While some stood and clapped along to the infectious rhythm, others captured the moment on their phones. Near the center of the impromptu concert, a smiling father holding his young daughter swayed and danced together - both their eyes fixed on the performance unfolding before them. The entire moment was captured by fellow saxophonist Marcus Anderson, who later shared the video on his Instagram page. 'Delay after delay after delay... frustrations turned into fun,' Anderson captioned the post. 'We pulled out our horns and brought smiles bright as the sun!' he added. 'Summer Horns turned a flight into a front row concert - because when you feel it, you play it.' Within hours, the post racked up millions of views across Instagram and Facebook, with viewers echoing the same sentiment - it was a heartwarming moment that beautifully captured the power of human connection. 'No one can deny that music is the universal language!!!!!!!!!!!!' one comment read. 'Literally crying!!! This has now officially replaced my flash mob emotions!!!' a third added. A viewer jokingly wrote: 'You won't get this PREMIUM experience in Business Class!' 'This is the reason why I can't give up loving humans,' another said. 'Beautiful vibes.' The band eventually made it to Napa, California, where they headlined one of the Blue Note Summer Sessions - a celebrated outdoor concert series set against the scenic backdrop of a wine-country village lawn. Friday's performance showcased the group's signature horn-driven sound, seamlessly blending smooth jazz, R&B, funk, and infectious energy - delivering the ultimate soundtrack for a summer evening. Koz's illustrious career spans more than three decades, with regular appearances in the Bay Area. He is also known for his performances at iconic venues including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Hollywood Bowl.
News24
09-08-2025
- Entertainment
- News24
Kenny G, the reluctant king of ‘smooth jazz', ready to make ‘new memories' on SA tour
Grammy-winning musician Kenny G, real name Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, will perform in South Africa later this year. His albums are a regular feature of many CD and record collections, and his tunes are hits at weddings and other social gatherings. Having sold more than 75 million records, Kenny G is to many the king of 'smooth jazz', a term which, ironically, he has never been comfortable with. US saxophonist Kenny G's music is popular worldwide, and South Africa is no exception. His albums are a regular feature of many CD and record collections, and his tunes are ubiquitous at weddings and other social gatherings. He has always found this love for his music very flattering. 'I love it; I would hope that my music would have memories that are beautiful to people,' he tells News24. 'Even when people tell me that they listened to a song with a loved one who has passed, it's still a good memory of them connecting with the music together,' he says. 'These are great stories for me. It makes me feel like I'm lucky that these melodies seem to enhance whatever experience [people are] having,' he adds. READ | 'Amazing blessing': Kenny G reflects on four decades of jazz and serenading fans in upcoming SA tour During the online interview, Kenny G speaks from his home in Los Angeles, a space where he spends hours practising and coming up with new material. The Grammy-winning musician, real name Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, will perform in South Africa later this year. 'We're looking forward to making new memories,' he says of the shows, having last performed here in 2017. 'They never get tired of us, and I never get tired of playing Songbird,' he says, pulling out his soprano saxophone and blowing the melody. Tour dates: Wednesday, 1 October 2025: Durban ICC, Durban Thursday, 2 October 2025: Grand Arena, GrandWest, Cape Town Friday, 3 October 2025: Superbowl, Sun City, North West Saturday, 4 October 2025: SunBet Arena, Times Square, Pretoria Having sold more than 75 million records, Kenny G is to many the king of smooth jazz, a term which, ironically, he has never been comfortable with. He says: 'Yeah, I don't like it. I don't like it at all.' 'Maybe at first, I didn't mind it because there were just a handful of people playing what they call 'smooth jazz'. Then all of a sudden, they started having so many people playing that music, and, to me, they weren't very good musicians.' He says the label 'smooth jazz' diluted the music in terms of the musicianship. 'When you hear the term, it's like anybody can put out a record and then call it smooth jazz - you don't even have to be a good player.' The term is intrinsically commercial and came from US radio marketing in the 1970s. It is also known as a radio format, like its predecessor, easy listening. Alternative terms for the style of music, a jazz fusion off-shoot, include crossover jazz and contemporary jazz, which the saxophonist accepts. 'I just call it jazz music because jazz is supposed to be a music that's ever changing.'Even when he introduces himself to people who don't know him, he'll just call himself a jazz musician. But they usually assume he is a musician, anyway. 'Because of my long hair, of course,' he says. They usually know his songs, but not his name or face. 'Which to me is the best compliment. I'd rather have you recognise my music than my face.' Despite his global success, he has never let it go to his head because he has remained focused on improving his craft. 'I usually get up at about 06:00. What I do for the next 3 hours is practice my scales - my rudiments,' he says and pulls out his saxophone again to demonstrate his strict routine. 'What keeps me grounded is the quest to become a great musician. I'm still trying to become a great musician. Every day I work at it.' Kenny G, along with artists like Chuck Mangione, George Benson and Bob James, helped reinvent jazz for a new generation and kept it relevant for a mainstream audience. 'It's an honour to know that I really helped make people aware of instrumental music,' he says. In turn, he feels indebted to artists like Stan Getz, Miles Davis, and, of course, his hero Grover Washington Jr. He also remembers Mangione, who died on 22 July 2025, even though he never met him in person. As a tribute, Kenny G pulls out his saxophone one more time to play Mangione's Feels So Good. 'We just lost Chuck Mangione. I actually played that the other day, just thinking about him,' he says. Mangione preceded Kenny G and, in some ways, laid the groundwork for his success, especially through further popularising instrumental jazz music. 'People have to open the door for these things to happen,' Kenny G says. 'So, I have to pay my respects to him.' Kenny G has also always admired Grover Washington Jr., and there is a video of them playing next to each other at Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration in 1993 (the politician being a saxophone player himself). Other saxophonists who performed include David Sanborn, Curtis Stigers, Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Tom Scott, Gerry Mulligan, and Dave Koz. That was the first time he ever met Grover. 'He was my hero. I was in high school and listening to his albums, going, 'How does somebody play the sax so good like that?'' 'And then I stood next to him as one of the equals.' 'I thought, you know, if you work hard at something and you practice, you're going to get good,' he says. 'Grover was telling me that I'm more popular than him. And I said, 'But you're Grover Washington Junior, come on!' He goes, 'No, but you are the guy right now.'' 'Just to hear him say that was like, oh my gosh, crazy!' Show Comments ()
The Sun
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Capri-inspired' beach bar with real sand and Ibiza-style DJ sessions opens in UK city
IN THE centre of a UK city, you can find a new Capri-inspired beach club with real sand, cabanas and live saxophone players. Capri Beach Club in Manchester transports visitors to the Italian coast with pretty cabanas, lounge chairs and real sand to truly bring the Mediterranean feel. 4 4 In fact, over 15 tons of sand were brought from across the UK to be used for the bar. Located in Exchange Square, the beach club has a large bar which serves a variety of drinks including cocktails and champagne. There is also a resident DJ that plays tunes with the vibe of an Ibiza beach club. In addition, there is a resident saxophonist and a selection of street food vendors. Food options include pizza, burgers and fish and chips. And if you have a sweet tooth, you can grab an ice cream as well, with a variety of flavours to choose from. Drink options include frozen cocktails and classic Aperol spritzes. There are two bookable VIP areas, which are both under wooden gazebos, enveloped by linen curtains. The VIP experiences means you also get table service in the space, which can host up to 14 people. One recent visitor said: "Great atmosphere with loud music and chippy/wood fired pizza, lot's of comfortable cosy seating areas to chill out with real sand and decking! Beach bar "We found cosy seats to chill out in and people watched whilst listening to the good tunes." Another added: "Perfect for chilling and unwind with family and friends with a great relaxing music. "Plus, the ambiance is amazing plus the food and drinks were delicious." A third said: "Super nice beach bar in the centre of Manchester. "Nicely decorated and friendly staff. "There were several food trucks, such as ice cream, pizza and churros. "There was a wide choice of drinks at the bar." The Capri Beach Club is open 11am−11pm until September. These are the UK's best beach bars – with DJ sets, sunset views and signature cocktails. Plus, one of the UK's most popular seaside towns has a California-like beach bar which has been named one of the best in the country. 4
Daily Mail
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bizarre moment Lebanese pool party cheers as missiles fly overhead amid Israel-Iran war - while other rooftop revellers also enjoy the scenes
Revellers at a Lebanese pool party have been seen cheering and dancing as Iranian missiles flew over to hit Israel targets. Bizarre footage shared over the weekend showed partygoers in a large swimming pool dancing, clapping and cheering as long-range missiles soar off to Israel in the distance. The celebrations carried on, even as the missiles slammed into Israeli territory. This was just the latest example of revelry in Lebanon in the wake of the Israel-Iran conflict, which saw the two warring nations send salvo after salvo of drones and missiles at each other over the weekend. The latest round of conflict began on Friday, when Israel launched a series of blistering attacks on Iranian soil, targeting the country's nuclear infrastructure, as well as densely populated parts of cities. But while much of the world watched in horror as the two Middle Eastern nations duked it out, scenes across Lebanon, which shares its southern border with Israel, were far different. In one video, a saxophonist was seen serenading people partying on a rooftop as missiles flew overhead. The musician, covered in a large colourful shawl, was seen standing next to a DJ deck and writhing up and down as he played his instrument. In the background, partygoers were seen filming the missiles with glee. At another rooftop party, thumping music was heard playing as people stared at the sky in awe. One couple was seen dancing with each other as they stared at the missiles falling from the sky. And in a third video, ABBA's Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! was heard at a wedding party as celebrants danced the night away. But the parties in Lebanon stand in stark contrast to the scenes across Iran and Israel. Iran fired a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early Monday, killing at least five people, while Israel claimed in the fourth day of the conflict that it had now achieved 'aerial superiority' over Tehran and could fly over the Iranian capital without facing major threats. After days of attacks on Iranian air defenses and missile systems, the Israeli military said its aircraft now control the skies from western Iran to Tehran and had destroyed more than 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers, a third of Iran's total, that had been firing at Israel in overnight missions. 'Now we can say that we have achieved full air supremacy in the Tehran airspace,' said military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin. Iran, meantime, announced it had launched some 100 missiles and vowed further retaliation for Israel's sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure, which have killed at least 224 people in the country since last Friday. One missile fell near the American consulate in Tel Aviv, causing minor damage, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said on X. There were no injuries to American personnel. Iran announced it had launched some 100 missiles and vowed further retaliation for Israel's sweeping attacks on its military and nuclear infrastructure, which have killed at least 224 people in the country since last Friday. Israel said so far 24 people have been killed and more than 500 injured as Iran launched more than 370 missiles and hundreds of drones. In response the Israeli military said fighter jets had struck 10 command centers in Tehran belonging to Iran's Quds Force, an elite arm of its Revolutionary Guard that conducts military and intelligence operations outside Iran. Powerful explosions, likely from Israel's defense systems intercepting Iranian missiles, rocked Tel Aviv shortly before dawn on Monday, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky over the coastal city. Authorities in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva said that Iranian missiles had hit a residential building there, charring concrete walls, shattering windows and ripping the walls off multiple apartments. The Israeli Magen David Adom emergency service reported that two women and two men - all in their 70s - and one other person were killed in the wave of missile attacks that struck four sites in central Israel. 'We clearly see that our civilians are being targeted,' said Israeli police spokesman Dean Elsdunne outside the bombed-out building in Petah Tikva. 'And this is just one scene. We have other sites like this near the coast, in the south.' Petah Tikva resident Yoram Suki rushed with his family to a shelter after hearing an air raid alert, and emerged after it was over to find his apartment destroyed. 'Thank God we were OK,' the 60-year-old said. Despite losing his home, he urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to keep up the attacks on Iran. A general view of Tehran covered in smoke and dust following explosions after an Israeli airstrike, on June 15, 2025 'It's totally worth it,' he said. 'This is for the sake of our children and grandchildren.' In addition to those killed, the MDA said paramedics had evacuated another 87 wounded people to hospitals, including a 30-year-old woman in serious condition, while rescuers were still searching for residents trapped beneath the rubble of their homes. 'When we arrived at the scene of the rocket strike, we saw massive destruction,' said Dr. Gal Rosen, a paramedic with MDA who said he had rescued a 4-day-old baby as fires blazed from the building. During an earlier barrage of Iranian missiles on central Israel on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Iran will stop its strikes if Israel does the same. But after a day of intensive Israeli aerial attacks that extended targets beyond military installations to hit oil refineries and government buildings, the Revolutionary Guard struck a hard line on Monday, vowing that further rounds of strikes would be 'more forceful, severe, precise and destructive than previous ones.'
Irish Times
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Emma Rawicz: ‘I think jazz is made for people who don't necessarily fit into life's prescribed boxes'
When the young English saxophonist, composer and bandleader Emma Rawicz was 16 and a pupil at Chetham's in Manchester , the largest and most internationally renowned specialist youth music school in the UK, she somehow found time – in addition to her exacting music and academic studies – to practise between eight and 10 hours a day. Although she had been playing classical violin since the age of six – and also had piano, clarinet and singing lessons – Rawicz had only started to focus exclusively on the saxophone – first the alto and then the tenor – for a year. And she felt she had a lot of ground to catch up on. 'I was, like: 'Oh my God, everyone knows so much, and they can all do all this amazing stuff on their instruments,' so I spent every spare hour pretty much practising, to the point where I nearly hurt myself,' the 23-year-old says. 'Occasionally, I'd have to take Saturday off because my lip was swollen and I literally couldn't play. I'd try, but it would just be too painful.' In keeping with her remarkable personality – she is, she says, 'a massive perfectionist, complete workaholic and habitual overachiever', who speaks four languages and gained two private-school scholarships – all those thousands of hours of application and industry soon paid off. READ MORE Extravagantly gifted, Rawicz (pronounced 'RA-vich') began to show both a preternatural talent on the tenor saxophone, particularly in the tricky upper registers of the instrument, and an ability to write clever and captivating compositions that, as well as being firmly rooted in modern jazz, displayed fascinating connections to styles such as rock, fusion, folk, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban. To say she was mature beyond her years was at once abundantly clear and a gross understatement. Winning a place, aged 18, on the jazz course at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, where Rawicz also further developed her not-inconsiderable skills on soprano saxophone, flute and bass clarinet, she began to play gigs, both as a side musician and leader, around the city. Word quickly got around. At the end of her second year, and still only 19, she made her debut, with her own band and music, at London's most storied jazz club, Ronnie Scott's. In 2022 Rawicz self-released a highly praised debut album, Incantation, featured as a soloist with the BBC Concert Orchestra and was named newcomer of the year at the annual Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Favourable comparisons started to be made to such virtuoso American tenor players as Chris Potter, Joshua Redman and Donny McCaslin, and she began to play clubs and festivals throughout Europe. Rawicz made her Irish debut at last year's Limerick Jazz Festival. Now she and her quartet are about embark on an eight-date Music Network tour of Ireland. The activity and acclaim continued. In 2023 Rawicz signed to ACT, a creative and progressive jazz label based in Germany, and began to write for, organise and conduct her own 20-piece jazz orchestra. She also built an audience of almost 50,000 followers on Instagram for her winning daily practice videos and live clips. Jamie Cullum – the English singer, pianist, songwriter and BBC Radio jazz presenter – hailed Rawicz as an astonishing talent. Reviewing her second album, Chroma, the Guardian 's jazz critic, John Fordham, wrote that 'the warp speed of her evolution is showing no sign of slowing.' And BBC Radio 3 declared, fairly accurately, that 'the name Emma Rawicz is on everyone's lips right now.' 'People say: 'Oh, you're so young to be doing X, Y or Z,' and I know this logically, and that I'm insanely hectic and busy, and I'm very grateful for and really value that, because I know it's rare,' she says, speaking from her flat in southeast London during a short break in touring. 'But I'm also just trying to live life as it comes, to relish every moment, to have as many of the experiences that I really want to have as I can.' Rawicz grew up an only child in rural north Devon, near to her maternal grandparent's farm, Exmoor National Park and the sea. 'I think being Devonian is quite close to my heart; it's about valuing peace, space, community and connection with people,' she says. 'But if you want to become a jazz musician, and be exposed to lots of different teachers, instruments and gigs, then growing up there may not be the simplest place to start.' Her mother was employed variously in the civil service, social work and commerce, and her father was an engineer; both were highly successful and spent considerable periods working abroad. Her paternal grandfather was born in Poland (Emma's full surname is Rawicz-Szczerbo), but he left, aged eight, with his mother during the second World War. They made their way, mostly on foot, to Britain, where they were eventually reunited with Rawicz's great-grandfather, a decorated general in the Polish army. While her father has always played piano 'for fun', and her maternal grandmother played organ at her local church, Rawicz did not grow up in an especially musical household. She did, however, have access to her father's iPod. 'He was a very eclectic listener, and on there was everything from AC/DC to Avril Lavigne, classical music and Turkish prepared piano, and I loved all of it and found it very inspiring. I feel it's good that I didn't get a conception of genre until much later on.' Emma Rawicz: 'The saxophone seemed like the coolest instrument ever, and I instantly wanted to play it.' In her teens she also listened avidly to singer-songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and Gabriel Kahane, film soundtracks and the music of the Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell; she also tried to play Irish jigs and reels on the violin. 'It was really very random,' she says. The first time she heard jazz was when her parents took her, aged 12, to a concert by an amateur big band at the nearby Dartington International Summer School. She was immediately hooked. 'The brass instruments and the harmony and the sound of the drums and the power behind that sound ... it just grabbed me,' she says. 'The saxophone also seemed like the coolest instrument ever, and I instantly wanted to play it.' Her parents, however, encouraged her to focus on the many other instruments, choirs, ensembles and orchestras in which she was already involved. Rawicz continued 'to beg'; when she reached 15 they relented. 'As soon as I started playing the saxophone, especially the tenor, I was like: 'Oh, okay, I haven't been playing the right instrument',' Rawicz says. 'The saxophone was the one I felt I could really express myself through, the instrument that could help make music my life. 'I could also sense that jazz was a real nerd-friendly genre, which suited me, because I was probably quite an unusual kid. I think jazz is made for people who don't necessarily fit into life's prescribed boxes.' That unusual kid may have been a dedicated bookworm who loved learning and was academically bright – she was one of only 730 pupils in England in 2018 to achieve the highest mark in all nine of her GCSEs – and in person, albeit over a video call, she is thoughtful, articulate and cheerful. But Rawicz has also faced more than her share of struggles throughout her young life. As a child she had encephalitis, which at the time affected her eyesight, among other things, and which she believes led to her suffering, from the age of 13 to 22, from complex regional pain syndrome. 'I was in pain for quite a lot of every day, and it was pretty rubbish,' she says. 'But more recently I've discovered powerlifting, and I've made some diet and lifestyle changes. My health is now in a much, much better place.' Emma Rawicz: 'It was a long, long time before I felt in any way confident about my playing. I suppose I have overcome it.' Photograph: Gregor Hohenberg/ACT Rawicz also experienced severe performance anxiety, especially when she started playing the saxophone. 'It was quite weird, because I loved playing the instrument, but I would freeze whenever I had to play in front of anyone, especially if I had to improvise,' she says. 'It caused quite a lot of trouble when I went to Chetham's and at the start of my time at the academy. I couldn't play in classes, or even in front of my one-to-one teachers. 'It was a long, long time before I felt in any way confident about my playing. I suppose I have overcome it. I think a lot of that is down to realising how important it is to surround yourself with people who want the best for you, on stage and off stage. And the idea of just having to get over myself and go out and do the best I can, because there's no better cure, in my experience, than necessity.' Positive audience and critical reception – and the Royal Academy awarding her, on graduating last year, the distinguished Musicians' Company Silver Medal, a prize not previously given to a jazz student – must also have helped shape a more affirmative view of herself. Her debut release on ACT, the adventurous and occasionally even prog-leaning Chroma, received almost universally enthusiastic reviews. (Its title reflects another example of the way her brain is wired differently: Rawicz has chromesthesia, a type of synaesthesia in which sound involuntarily evokes an experience of colour, shape and movement.) Its follow-up, Big Visit, a supple and sympathetic duo album with the star Welsh pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock that was released in March, went down equally well. Rawicz rejects the stereotype that jazz musicians have to suffer to create great work – a fact evidenced in the many online videos of her spirited and upbeat performances. 'I'm not saying the tortured artist doesn't exist, but, for me, music has been such a source of healing, growth, learning ... and joy. What I want more than anything is to continue being a musician that gets joy out of music and, more importantly, brings joy to the people that hear it. 'One of the biggest privileges of being a musician is getting to make other people's lives just even a little bit better from doing what you love to do. I mean, how amazing is that?' Emma Rawicz plays Letterkenny, Sligo, Roscommon, Tinahely, Dublin, Listowel, Cork and Newbridge between Wednesday, June 4th, and Friday, June 13th, on a Music Network tour
