At first glance, the title of Cerise Jacobs’ upcoming world’s first videogame opera PermaDeath seems to imply another dark take or tale using the commercial success and wide-spread popularity of the multiplayer video game phenomenon . But anyone familiar with Ms. Jacobs’ librettists-driven operas, such as Ourboros Trilogy(2016) and...
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Jean-Luc Ponty At The Cabot
A perfect match was found between the intimate setting at the Cabot’s newly renovated 850 seat, former 1920’s art-deco period theater in Beverly, Ma. and the soaring, melodic and mesmerizing sounds of masterful electronic jazz-rock French violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. The venue offered the perfect fit….Read More
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2018 Newport Jazz Festival Showcases Women Artists and Emerging Talents
This year’s Newport Jazz Festival was to feature and highlight particularly an incredibly diverse selection of female performers and female ensemble groups. Wein, in his newsletter “Notes from the Wein Machine”(March, 2018), was very direct in his statement about the “sophisticated ladies” in jazz, “As I look back more...
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George Wein: A Life And Legend In Jazz
Last summer, in June of 2017, I had the privilege and opportunity to interview George Wein, founder and producer of the seminal Newport Jazz Festival. At 91, he was just in the process of supporting and transitioning the new artistic director Christian McBride into this demanding and critical role...
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Montréal Jazz Festival Ignites With a Summer Extravaganza of Music
When André Ménard, co-founder and artistic director of the Festival International de jazz de Montréal, explains the breath and scale of the outdoor and indoor venue and range of musicians(over 3,000) and concert choices(over 650) during a 10-day run from June 28thto July 7th, 2018, you are excused if...
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BLO Brings Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti into the 1960’s Nightclub Era
On May 11-20, 2018, the Boston Lyric Opera will premiere a new pairing of two Leonard Bernstein one-act operas: 1952’s “Trouble in Tahiti” and 1988’s “Arias and Barcarolles”. The music and arias are enough to grab your attention with the “B” name associated. But the added element of surprise...
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Boston’s New England Conservatory Celebrates: The Legacy of Bob Brookmeyer
The on-going celebration of New England Conservatory’s 150th anniversary brought well deserved attention to the Jazz Studies and Contemporary Improvisation departments for the 2017-2018 performance season. On March 1st, at Jordan Hall, NEC presented a very special tribute celebration to the legacy of Bob Brookmeyer, the legendary jazz musician...
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Boston’s ICA exhibit takes on the internet as art form
When you think of the internet, you generally take for granted that it’smostly a tool for your own personal or professional use, with all thebells and whistles. But when you dig below that surface, and start to explore beyond the technology, as stated by Barbara Lee, Chief curator at...
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Grace Kelly: Free From Boundaries
If you look at all the accomplishments of musical prodigy Grace Kelly, (acclaimed jazz saxophonist, singer, entertainer, songwriter and composer) it doesn’t immediately register that that she is just 25 years old. With a resume that includes a CD release (Dreaming in 2005) at 12, a special guest artist...
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The man who put Miles Davis on the stage at the Newport Jazz Festival
NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL 2015 Miles Davis was not yet a household name in jazz in 1955 when he first appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival. In fact he wasn’t even scheduled to play. But history has now told of the incredible influence and wide reach of his trumpet playing...
