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Alaska Airlines & Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival presented by The Oregonian A&E will present Somethin’ Else: Blue Note Records @70, celebrating the 70th Anniversary of Blue Note Records, as the primary thread through the 2009 Portland Jazz Festival, February 13-22. All festival ticketed concerts feature current Blue Note headliners and Blue Note heritage artists who have passed through Blue Note at some point in their legendary careers. The thematic package of events will include performances, plus jazz conversations with Blue Note officials and artists, panel discussions with jazz writers, journalists & thinkers, and archival Blue Note film screenings. In addition, Portland Jazz Festival will also feature free showcase performances around town with regional jazz artists, midnight jam sessions, and approximately 50 jazz education & outreach events.

Current Blue Note artists, trumpeter Terence Blanchard, sax man Joe Lovano, vocalists Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, and Patricia Barber, and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba will headline the 10-day event, which will also feature Blue Note Heritage artists McCoy Tyner, Bobby Hutcherson, Lou Donaldson, and Pat Martino.

The 6th annual series of jazz events begins with a rare performance of Grammy & Oscar Award-winning Terence Blanchard performing his A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina) with jazz quintet and full orchestra, written as a film score for Spike Lee’s When The Levees Broke. The dozen selections emotionally recall the days after Hurricane Katrina in lower New Orleans. The beautiful melodies mourn the useless loss of life while a tension builds over and through the music, and will be played by an orchestra of prominent Portland musicians conducted by Paul Mazzio. Cuban piano master Gonzalo Rubalcaba and quintet will open this first night performance, Friday, February 13, 7:30 pm.

Double-bill concerts are the norm this year throughout the festival schedule with the new Joe Lovano Us5 plus French pianist Jacky Terrasson playing Saturday, February 14, 2:00 pm, Portland Art Museum. On Sunday, February 15 there is another double-bill of jazz master McCoy Tyner forming a quartet with Joe Lovano in tandem with clarinetist Don Byron’s Ivey-Divey tribute to Lester Young opening. Later that day, South-African guitarist Lionel Loueke plus vocalist Judi Silvano close the first weekend’s concerts (Sunday, February 15, 6:30 pm, Hilton Pavilion Ballroom). On the second weekend, several more double-bills feature vocalist Cassandra Wilson and the eclectic Jason Moran & The Bandwagon (Friday, February 20, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall). Blue Note heritage artists, bluesy saxophonist Lou Donaldson and vibes man Bobby Hutcherson perform Saturday, February 21, 2:00 pm, Crystal Ballroom. Later, on Saturday at 7:30 pianist/vocalist Patricia Barber performs with Blue Note’s newest signing, Seattle pianist Aaron Parks, and on Sunday, February 22, jazz guitar wizard Pat Martino headlines with Jane Bunnett & The Spirits of Havana opening.

Interspersed are single concerts with 4-time Grammy Award-winning vocalist Dianne Reeves with the Oregon Symphony (Saturday, February 14, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall) and long time Blue Note guitarist John Scofield (Saturday, February 14, 9:30 pm, Portland Art Museum).

The complete Portland Jazz Festival headline concert schedule:
• Friday, February 13, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, A Tale of God’s Will (Requiem for Katrina) Terence Blanchard Quintet with full orchestra plus Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet
• Saturday, February 14, 2:00 pm, Portland Art Museum Ballroom, Joe Lovano’s Us5 plus Jacky Terrasson
• Saturday, February 14, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Dianne Reeves w/Oregon Symphony
• Saturday, February 14, 9:30 pm, Portland Art Museum Ballroom, John Scofield • Sunday, February 15, 2:00 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, McCoy Tyner + Joe Lovano Quartet plus Don Byron Ivey-Divey Trio
• Sunday, February 15, 6:30 pm, Hilton Pavilion Ballroom, Lionel Loueke plus Judi Silvano
• Thursday, February 19, 7:30 pm, Old Church, Portland Jazz Orchestra
• Friday, February 20, 7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Cassandra Wilson plus Jason Moran & The Bandwagon
• Saturday, February 21, 2:00 pm, Crystal Ballroom, Bobby Hutcherson plus Lou Donaldson
• Saturday, February 21, 7:30 pm, Newmark Theater, Patricia Barber plus Aaron Parks
• Sunday, February 22, 2:00 pm, Crystal Ballroom, Pat Martino plus Jane Bunnett & The Spirits of Havana

Tickets on Sale November 10! Special festival ticket packages are now available only at the PDX Jazz office, 133 SW 2nd Avenue, Suite 420, or by calling 503-228-5299. Single tickets are also now on sale through TicketMaster outlets or at pdxjazz.com. PDX Jazz members are able to purchase tickets online in advance to public sale beginning November 6.

PARIS - NOVEMBER 13, 2008

EMI Music's Blue Note label is proud to announce that its French team has signed a worldwide deal with charismatic bassist/composer/singer & band leader Avishai Cohen.

Born April 20, 1970 in Israel, this extraordinary and eclectic artist is widely considered to be one of the biggest new stars on the international jazz scene, reaching out to a broad audience around the world and becoming a much in demand musician in multiple genres. In 2003 he made a studio recording with pop-soul artist Alicia Keys, he has performed concert works with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and The Boston Pops Symphony and most recently was appointed Artistic Director for the Eilat Red Sea Festival.

Cohen has been called "a jazz visionary of global proportions" by top American jazz music magazine Down Beat, and declared "one of the 100 Most Influential Bass Players of the 20th Century" by Bass Player magazine. His debut release for Blue Note, which will be his 11th album as an ensemble leader, will be recorded in December 2008 in Paris with the release scheduled for spring 2009.

"To me, the Blue Note label means some of my favourite jazz albums of all times, whether it's Wayne Shorter or Lee Morgan. I am very proud and excited to be a part of this family." said Avishai Cohen.

"Avishai Cohen's talent is one of a kind. His musicality, lyricism and energy combined with a true sense of melody in his compositions make Avishai a unique artist on the international jazz scene. His fan base is already strong in France, Israel and in the US and we are confident that his music will connect with both jazz fans and an ever wider audience worldwide," said Jean-Claude Ghrenassia, Director, Artist and Repertoire, EMI Music France.

Avishai Cohen will be a featured artist in this year's much-awaited Blue Note Rec Festival in Paris in April 2009, one of the events scheduled across the globe to celebrate the label's 70th anniversary.

Blue Note is proud to unveil the first group in their series of vinyl + bonus CD reissues of the cream of the crop classics from the Blue Note vaults.

These 12 classic Blue Note bestsellers are now available with a CD and LP in one package at one low price - a CD for their car or computer, and warm analog LP for the home sound system!

Each LP is mastered from the original analog tapes by Ron McMaster. Each state-of-theart CD is mastered in 24-bit by Rudy Van Gelder, the original recording engineer of these historic sessions. These releases are iconic not just for the music inside but for the stunning, legendary album covers, which are works of art themselves.

JOHN COLTRANE
Blue Train

CANNONBALL ADDERLEY
Somethin' Else

ART BLAKEY
Moanin'

HERBIE HANCOCK
Maiden Voyage

DEXTER GORDON
Go!

WAYNE SHORTER
Speak No Evil

LEE MORGAN
The Sidewinder

HORACE SILVER
Song For My Father

HANK MOBLEY
Soul Station

MCCOY TYNER
The Real McCoy

JOE HENDERSON
Page One

KENNY BURRELL
Midnight Blue

In 2009, Blue Note Records-one of the world’s most legendary labels-will celebrate two milestones when it commemorates both the 70^th anniversary of the label’s founding by Alfred Lion, as well as the 25^th anniversary of the its re-launch in 1984 under current President Bruce Lundvall, with a global celebration. In events befitting a label known for offering The Finest In Jazz Since 1939, the coming year will feature the music, imagery and legend of Blue Note with a range multi-media offerings, including live concerts, special digital and physical re-issues and new releases, The Blue Note 7; an all-star tribute band of current jazz luminaries, book releases, festival honors, merchandise and much more.

Since its very first recording session on January 6, 1939, Blue Note has grown from a small independent label to become the world’s premiere and longest-running Jazz label. Today, Blue Note boasts a legendary catalog that includes such Jazz icons as Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Donald Byrd, Andrew Hill and Ornette Coleman. The label’s current Jazz roster keeps the tradition going, and includes many of today’s most important voices such as Patricia Barber, Terence Blanchard, Bill Charlap Robert Glasper, Lionel Loueke, Joe Lovano, Wynton Marsalis, Jason Moran, Aaron Parks, Dianne Reeves, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, and Cassandra Wilson. And under Lundvall's watch, Blue Note has tastefully broadened its music pallet beyond jazz to include such acclaimed artists as Priscilla Ahn, Anita Baker, Al Green, Norah Jones, Amos Lee, Willie Nelson and the bird and the bee.

More offerings will be announced throughout the year, but following is a hint of what’s to come:

THE BLUE NOTE 7 ALL-STAR TRIBUTE BAND – WORLDWIDE TOUR & ALBUM RELEASE

Events will kick off January 7 with the start of a worldwide tour by The Blue Note 7; an all-star tribute band comprising pianist and musical director Bill Charlap with trumpeter Nicholas Payton, alto saxophonist Steve Wilson, tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash. The tour will hit 50 U.S. cities capped off with a week-long run at Birdland in New York April 14-19. A European tour is planned for October-November. On January 13, the septet will be releasing Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records, an eight-song collection of re-envisioned Blue Note classics.

BLUE NOTE TAKES NEW YORK

On January 27, Blue Note will kick off a month-long invasion of New York City’s clubs and music halls with two Blue Note legends-Lou Donaldson and Dr. Lonnie Smith-at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Other artists already confirmed throughout the month of February include Anita Baker, Terence Blanchard, Bill Charlap, Robert Glasper, Norah Jones, Joe Lovano, Lionel Loueke, Wynton Marsalis, Jason Moran, Willie Nelson, Aaron Parks, Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson. Venues will include the Blue Note Jazz Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Jazz Standard, Town Hall, and the Village Vanguard.

BLUE NOTE REISSUES/MERCHANDISE

In addition to the continuation of Blue Note’s long-running RVG Series (for which the legendary recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder remasters his classic sessions) and Connoisseur Series (featuring lesser-known gems from the catalog), the label will also begin reissuing its core RVG Series titles as vinyl/CD combos.   The label will also be making special digital initiatives available on www.bluenote.com and via digital retail partners around the world.  In addition, during the Spring-Summer 2009 clothing company Friend or Foe will also present a line of their vintage-look, luxurious-feel t-shirts featuring classic Blue Note cover artwork and many other brand licensing efforts in multiple categories are in the works as Blue Note furthers its efforts of developing Blue Note as a premium lifestyle brand with licensing agent Fusion

BLUE NOTE TRIBUTES AT FESTIVALS AROUND THE WORLD

Throughout 2009 several major Jazz festivals will be paying tribute to Blue Note Records. The 6^th Annual Portland Jazz Festival in Oregon (February 13-22) will dedicate itself to a 360° celebration of the label-Somethin’ Else: Blue Note Records at 70-featuring performances from Blue Note’s past and present roster, as well as panel discussions about the label’s legacy with Bruce Lundvall, Michael Cuscuna, and various Jazz artists, writers and historians. In addition, the Blue Note Records Festival in France (March 30-April 11) will be showcasing talent from around the world. Other festivals paying tribute to Blue Note will include the JVC Jazz Festival in New York, Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, and multiple festivals in Europe to be confirmed.

BLUE NOTE BIOGRAPHY & PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK

Acclaimed author Ashley Kahn (Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece, A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album, The House That Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records) is penning Somethin’ Else: The Story of Blue Note Records and the Birth of Modern Jazz, the definitive label biography to be published by Viking in Summer 2009. Blue Note will also be releasing a companion 2-CD compilation that spans the label’s 70 years. A photography collection that presents Francis Wolff’s iconic images from Blue Note’s early period alongside Jimmy Katz’s documentation of the current era will be published by JazzPrezzo.

ABOUT BLUE NOTE RECORDS:

It took the joining of many natural forces to create and define one of the greatest Jazz labels there has ever been: Jazz-loving German immigrants on the run from Nazism (Alfred Lion & Francis Wolff), a New Jersey optometrist moonlighting as a recording engineer (Rudy Van Gelder), a classical music-loving commercial designer (Reid Miles), and slews of the most incredible musicians that have ever walked the earth (too many to name them all here). The elements that each brought to the table-impeccable A&R instincts, elegant and insightful photography, sterling sound quality, strikingly original cover artwork, and consistently transcendent music-were all essential to the label's early success. Together they created a vivid Blue Note identity. The whole could not have existed without each of the parts.

Blue Note’s legendary catalog traces the entire history of the music from Hot Jazz, Boogie Woogie, and Swing, through Bebop, Hard Bop, Post Bop, Soul Jazz, Avant-Garde, and Fusion. The label’s stars from the early years form a true Who’s Who: Thelonious Monk, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Jimmy Smith, Grant Green, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, McCoy Tyner, Donald Byrd, Andrew Hill, Ornette Coleman.

After a brief dormancy from 1981-1984 during which producer/historian Michael Cuscuna kept the label’s legacy alive with a series of reissues on EMI, Blue Note returned reinvigorated by the leadership of Bruce Lundvall and has since established itself as the most respected Jazz label in the world. The label is still home to some of the most prominent stars and cutting-edge innovators in Jazz today, and at the same time has broadened its horizons to include quality music in many genres.

Over the past 25 years, Blue Note has seen it’s share of commercial successes from Bobby McFerrin, Stanley Jordan, Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson, Us3, Medeski Martin & Wood, Norah Jones, Al Green, Anita Baker, Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. The label has also remained a haven for the most creative voices in Jazz over the past quarter-century including Patricia Barber, Brian Blade, Terence Blanchard, Don Byron, Bill Charlap, Eliane Elias, Kurt Elling, Robert Glasper, Stefon Harris, Charlie Hunter, Lionel Loueke, Joe Lovano, Pat Martino, Jason Moran, Greg Osby, Aaron Parks, Michel Petrucciani, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, John Scofield, Jacky Terrasson, and Chucho Valdes.

Blue Note has also begun a series of newly-discovered long-lost archival gems such as Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane At Carnegie Hall, Charles Mingus Sextet With Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964, and Horace Silver Live at Newport ’58.

As 2008 winds downs, Blue Note Records is already looking ahead to 2009 and a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the label’s founding by Alfred Lion, as well as the 25th anniversary of Blue Note’s relaunch under current President Bruce Lundvall. But first we wanted to recap another remarkable year of new releases-Jazz & Beyond…

JAZZ

? Eliane Elias Something for You (Jan. 15) – The Brazilian pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias’ heartfelt tribute to the great Bill Evans had an extra personal touch with the presence of Elias’s husband & collaborator Marc Johnson, who was the bassist in Evans’ last trio.

? Gonzalo Rubalcaba Avatar (Feb. 5) – The Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba assembled a blazing New York quintet with trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, alto saxophonist Yosvany Terry, bassist Matt Brewer & drummer Marcus Gilmore that reinvigorated him and inspired one of the finest recordings of his acclaimed career.

? Horace Silver Live at Newport '58 (Feb. 5) – Another treasure from the archives, this newly discovered live set showcases the legendary Horace Silver’s hard-swinging quintet stretching out at the height of their powers during the brief tenure of the unsung trumpeter Louis Smith.

? Lionel Loueke Karibu (Mar. 25) – The Jazz debut of the year. The New York Times called the West African guitarist Lionel Loueke “a gentle virtuoso… one of the most striking jazz artists to emerge is some time… a spellbinding presence… a startlingly original voice.” Billboard called the album-which featured rare guest appearances from Herbie Hancock & Wayne Shorter-“a revelation.”

? Dianne Reeves When You Know (Apr. 15) – Multi-Grammy Award-winning Jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves soared on this collection of love songs that look at love from different phases of woman’s life. Produced by Reeves cousin & long-time collaborator George Duke, the album’s highlights found Reeves in the intimate company of just two guitarists, Russell Malone & Romero Lubambo.

? Cassandra Wilson Loverly (June 10) – Grammy-winning vocalist Cassandra Wilson put together a standout band featuring pianist Jason Moran for her first collection of Jazz standards in a decade, which was deemed “an unalloyed triumph” by The New Yorker.

? Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis Two Men With The Blues (July 8) – One of the major event records of the year, the seemingly unlikely pairing of these country & jazz legends proved to be sensational, “an unmitigated, ear-tickling success” as the Boston Globe described it. The two American icons discovered common ground in their mutual love of jazz & blues standards

? Aaron Parks Invisible Cinema (Aug. 19) – JazzTimes named pianist/composer Aaron Parks “a new visionary” based on the strength of his Blue Note debut, a powerful & profound collection of his own original compositions featuring a stellar quartet with guitarist Mike Moreno, bassist Matt Penman & drummer Eric Harland.

? Joe Lovano Symphonica (Sept. 2) – For his 20th Blue Note album, saxophonist Joe Lovano delivered a milestone that DownBeat declared a “sure classic,” a bold & beautiful career-spanning retrospective of his own compositions accompanied by a full orchestra.

? Patricia Barber The Cole Porter Mix (Sept. 16) – The Los Angeles Times has written that Patricia Barber’s “gripping interpretations and propulsive piano playing are among the great wonders of contemporary music,” and her new Cole Porter songbook is no exception, with riveting versions of “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Miss Otis Regrets,” and “Just One of Those Things” featuring special guest saxophonist Chris Potter.

BEYOND

? Jaymay Autumn Fallin’ (Mar. 11) – The Washington Post called the debut from the remarkable young singer-songwriter Jaymay “a clear-eyed masterpiece.”

? The Wood Brothers Loaded (Apr. 1) – Oliver & Chris Wood delivered another sterling set of their folk & acoustic blues tunes, tinged with gospel hopefulness & country melancholy, featuring guest singers Amos Lee, Pieta Brown & Frazey Ford.

? Al Green Lay It Down (May 27) – Another of the year’s major event records, soul legend Al Green triumphantly teamed with members of The Roots crew & guest vocalists John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae & Anthony Hamilton on what Rolling Stone called Green’s “best disc in decades.”

? Priscilla Ahn A Good Day (June 10) – PASTE magazine declared the debut from heavenly-voiced singer-songwriter Priscilla Ahn “a classic folk album for the iPod generation.”

? Amos Lee Last Days at the Lodge (June 24) – Singer-songwriter Amos Lee delved deeper into soul & rock music with his third album, with PASTE magazine declaring “third time’s the charm… 'Last Days at the Lodge' finds Lee at his melodic and passionate best.”

ALL-STAR SEPTET FEATURES MUSICAL DIRECTOR BILL CHARLAP WITH NICHOLAS PAYTON, RAVI COLTRANE, STEVE WILSON, PETER BERNSTEIN, PETER WASHINGTON AND LEWIS NASH

On January 13, Blue Note Records will commemorate the label's 70th anniversary with the release of Mosaic: A Celebration of Blue Note Records, an eight-song collection of classic Blue Note repertoire re-envisioned by The Blue Note 7, an all-star septet comprising pianist, musical director, and current Blue Note recording artist Bill Charlap with trumpeter Nicholas Payton, tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, alto saxophonist/flutist Steve Wilson, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash. The album is produced by Charlap, Michael Cuscuna and Eli Wolf, and executive produced by Danny Melnick, founder of the event production company Absolutely Live Entertainment, which will be producing The Blue Note 7's extensive 51-city North American tour launching January 7.

Charlap says, "The music that Blue Note recorded is so vast and historically important that there was no way we could be comprehensive in covering the contributions of so many major musicians. We chose to record compositions that would honor the label and its key players, whittling it down to eight of our favorites from Blue Note’s wide-ranging and extensive catalog." Charlap hails the wisdom of Blue Note founder Alfred Lion, who launched the label in 1939, for "creating a forum for composers to write music. He trusted them to go ahead and do what they do best."

"The Blue Note 7 is a true collaboration, an all-star band comprised of the next generation of major players, all leaders in their own right," says Bruce Lundvall, President of Blue Note Records, who is also celebrating 25 years since he relaunched the label in 1984 after a hiatus. "They are also the A-list of accomplished arrangers and composers, steeped in the Blue Note tradition, re-imagining this time-honored repertoire in a fresh way."

Charlap notes that each tune on Mosaic is arranged by a band member with the exception of two tracks arranged by pianist Renee Rosnes: McCoy Tyner's "Search for Peace" and Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance." Other tracks include Cedar Walton's "Mosaic," written for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and arranged by Nash; Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge," arranged by Payton; Bobby Hutcherson's "Little B's Poem" and Thelonious Monk's "Criss Cross," both arranged by Wilson; Duke Pearson's "Idle Moments," written for guitarist Grant Green and arranged by Bernstein; and Horace Silver's "The Outlaw," arranged by Charlap.

Charlap points out that song choice was determined by the band's desire to cover diverse tunes with different moods and arranging approaches. “Although each player is a leader in his own right, it’s the chemistry between these musicians that makes the band. We're relatively young guys who have a lot of experience collectively, and we've had the opportunity to perform with many of the major Blue Note artists.”

Charlap salutes the work of Melnick and Jack Randall, a booking agent at Ted Kurland Associates, for coming up with the concept. He says, “This is an unusual example of an intelligent promotional idea with a very artistic result.” Melnick credits Randall for giving the project its jump-start. “Jack approached me and together we made our list of possible players,” he says. “Then we went to Blue Note, and everyone there loved the idea.” As for promoters who have booked the show, he says, “They're happy with presenting the Blue Note songbook with all new arrangements performed by a great band that understands and respects jazz history. This will be a true celebration of Blue Note.”

More arrangements of songs from the Blue Note library will be created for The Blue Note 7 tour, which begins on January 7 in Yakima, Washington, and continues with concerts at universities and concert halls in 50 cities across North America. The tour will culminate in a six-night run in mid-April at Birdland in New York. European dates will also be announced for Fall 2009.

Invisible Cinema, the striking Blue Note Records debut by Aaron Parks was just released August 19, 2008, and already critics are raving. The album finds the 24-year old pianist and composer-who is featured in the September issue of JazzTimes as a “New Visionary”-exploring the common ground between his influences: from modern progressive jazz to indie rock and hip-hop. Parks represents a new generation of Jazz musicians, as is evidenced by the fact that he cites bands from Radiohead to Blonde Redhead among his major influences alongside Herbie Hancock, Brad Mehldau, and Terence Blanchard.

AOL Spinner will be hosting a Listening Party featuring full-album streaming of Invisible Cinema the week of release starting August 18. That’s a rare honor for an instrumental Jazz album, but then again the Boston Globe noted that Invisible Cinema “is a different sort of piano jazz record… Everything is in this mix: classical influence, bop-based grooves, rock attitude, film-score drama, and hip-hop textures.” DETAILS magazine simply declared “Parks is a wonder on his major-label debut.”

The album title and theme explore the relationship between the aural and the visual. Parks explains: "The title has different meanings. For one thing, invisible cinema is what music is, in a sense. You can't see it. But there's all this drama between the musicians, all these stories that can be told. Also, this album has a story line that I wouldn't spell out to anybody, because I want to leave it open to interpretation. But for me there's a narration in the sequence and song titles and everything."

Parks will be hitting the road this Fall in support of Invisible Cinema. In New York, Parks will be giving a free show at J&R MusicFest 2008 in City Hall Park (8/22), and will celebrate the album release with two nights at the Jazz Standard (9/10-11). See below for all U.S. tour dates.

TOUR DATES
8/22 - New York, NY - J&R MusicFest @ City Hall Park (w/ Roy Hargrove & Esperanza Spalding)
8/29 - Lenox, MA - Tanglewood Jazz Festival
9/10-11 - New York, NY - Jazz Standard
10/17 - Memphis, TN - Germantown Performing Arts Center
10/18 - New Orleans, LA - Snug Harbor
10/19 - Los Angeles, CA - Jazz Bakery
10/20 - San Francisco, CA - Yoshi’s
10/23 - Seattle, WA - Earshot Jazz Festival
10/24 - Denver, CO - Dazzle Jazz Club
11/01 - Philadelphia, PA - Chris' Jazz Cafe

Early Praise for Invisible Cinema:

“New visionary” -JazzTimes

“A jazz pianist who takes risks, Parks is a wonder on his major-label debut.” -DETAILS

“…this is a different sort of piano jazz record… Everything is in this mix: classical influence, bop-based grooves, rock attitude, film-score drama, and hip-hop textures… Invisible Cinema is the opposite of a silent film. The soundtrack is provided; the listener brings the visuals.” -Boston Globe

Blue Note 70th Anniversary All-Stars - To celebrate Blue Note’s 70th anniversary in 2009 we have assembled a truly all star band that will recorded at the end of May. The band features our own Bill Charlap on piano, Ravi Coltrane on tenor saxophone, Steve Wilson on alto sax, Nicolas Payton on trumpet, Peter Bernstein on guitar, Peter Washington on bass and Lewis Nash on drums. The group recorded new arrangements of Blue Note classics by Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk, and more. The tacks will be mixed next week and mastered soon after. The album will be released in January to coincide with a 50-date tour across the U.S. during which this incredible band will spread the Blue Note gospel.

Wynton Marsalis - Marsalis’ latest installment for Blue Note is the “He and She” album, a romantic-themed conceptual album of original music based on a poem penned by Wynton. Reinforcing this are programmatic pieces like “First Crush,” First Slow Dance,” and “First Kiss.” This project features Marsalis’ working group as listed above and the album is currently being mixed.

The Bird and The Bee – the dynamic duo of multi-instrumentalist/producer Greg Kurstin and singer Inara George are working on their sophomore effort at Kurstin’s studio in Los Angeles. Sticking to the formula of their self-titled debut, this album will feature the duo’s signature post-modern take on west coast pop with Greg on all instruments (with the exception of a brass instrument or two) and Inara providing all the vocals. The repertoire consists of newly-penned originals, however, a couple of covers may creep in into the mix. The album will be mastered at the end of the month.

Kristina Train – This young soulful chanteuse hails from Savannah Georgia and has recently moved to NYC. Train is currently writing material with various songwriters from around the country and on the other side of the pond, primarily with Jimmy Hogarth and Eg White in London, England fresh of their success with UK sensation Duffy.

Source: DL Media

The Jazz Journalists Association Announces 2008 Jazz Award Winners

The Jazz Journalists Association announces winners of the 2008 Jazz Awards, the non-profit professional organization's 12th annual celebration of excellence in jazz and jazz journalism, and induction of an "A Team" of activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz, The Jazz Awards are engraved statuettes, handed to attending recipients by jazz journalists and their supporters at a barbeque and beer lunch at the Jazz Standard, Wednesday June 18. For further information about the Jazz Awards and Jazz Journalists Association, visit www.Jazzhouse.org.

Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards 2008

Lifetime Achievement in Jazz
Marian McPartland


Musician of the Year
Herbie Hancock 

Up & Coming Musician of the Year
Lionel Loueke 

Record of the Year
Sky Blue
Maria Schneider Orchestra
ArtistShare

Reissue/Historical Release of the Year
Cornell 1964
Charles Mingus Sextet
Blue Note

Reissue/Historical Box Set of the Year
A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story
Dreyfus Jazz

Record Label of the Year
Blue Note Records

Composer of the Year
Maria Schneider

Arranger of the Year
Maria Schneider

Male Singer of the Year
Andy Bey

Female Singer of the Year
Abbey Lincoln

Latin Jazz Album of the Year
Big Band Urban Folktales
Bobby Sanabria
Jazzheads

Small Ensemble of the Year
Ornette Coleman Quartet/Quintet

Large Ensemble of the Year
Maria Schneider Orchestra

Trumpeter of the Year
Terence Blanchard

Trombonist of the Year
Wycliffe Gordon

Player of Instruments Rare in Jazz
Scott Robinson, reeds/brass/antiques

Alto Sax Player of the Year
Ornette Coleman

Tenor Sax Player of the Year
Sonny Rollins 

Soprano Sax Player of the Year
Jane Ira Bloom

Baritone Sax Player of the Year
James Carter

Clarinetist of the Year
Anat Cohen

Flutist of the Year
Nicole Mitchell

Pianist of the Year
Hank Jones

Organ-Keyboards of the Year
Dr. Lonnie Smith

Guitarist of the Year
Bill Frisell

Bassist of the Year
Christian McBride

Electric Bassist of the Year
Steve Swallow

Strings Player of the Year
Regina Carter

Mallets Player of the Year
Joe Locke

Percussionist of the Year
Candido Camero

Drummer of the Year
Roy Haynes

Events Producer of the Year
Patricia Nicholson-Parker, Arts for Art, RUCMA, Vision Festival

Jazz Journalism Lifetime Achievement Award
Doug Ramsey, author, biographer, blogger

Willis Conover-Marian McPartland Broadcasting Award
Nancy Wilson, for "Jazz Profiles"
National Public Radio

Helen Dance-Robert Palmer Feature & Review Writing Award
Nate Chinen
New York Times, JazzTimes

Best Periodical Covering Jazz
JazzTimes

Best Website on Jazz
AllAboutJazz.com

Best Book about Jazz
Playing the Changes: Milt Hinton's Life in Stories and Photographs, by Milt Hinton, David G. Berger and Holly Maxson (Vanderbilt University Press)

Lona Foote-Bob Parent Photography Award
Milt Hinton (1910-2000)

Jazz Photo of the Year
"Time Stood Still for Andrew Hill," by Laurence Donohue-Greene 
http://www.jazzhouse.org/vote/pho08/

The Jazz Journalists Association 2008 Award for the 'A Team' Activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz
Dr. Valerie Capers, pianist, composer, emeritus chair of City University of New York Department of Music and Art at Bronx Community College;

Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts;

Lauren Deutsch, photographer and executive director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago;

Susan Muscarella, pianist-composer-arranger-educator, founder of JazzSchool (Berkeley);

Phil Nimmons, clarinetist, improviser, father of Canadian jazz education;

George Russell, conceptualist, composer, orchestra leader, educator (New England Conservatory)

Dick Wang, musician, educator (Univ of Illinois-Chicago), mentor, historian, archivist, co-founder, past president and current board member of the Jazz Institute of Chicago;

Dr. Herb Wong, founder of the Palo Alto jazz alliance and Berkeley public school jazz programs, broadcaster, record producer and annotator, past-president of the International Association of Jazz Educators, spirit of the Monterey Jazz Festival

Wendy Oxenhorn, executive director of the Jazz Foundation of America, founder of Street News, blues harmonica player

Amos Lee's Last Days at the Lodge is due out on June 24, 2008, but you have two chances to pre-order it now. Exclusive Bonus Track "Dignified Woman" available with pre-order on iTunes. You can also visit Amazon.com to pre-order the CD!