Jazzy Chat

Top Three US Jazz Events NOT in New Orleans

Think of jazz and you’ll probably think immediately of the buzzing scene of New Orleans – for reasons that are pretty obvious to say the least. However, the jazz scene in the US doesn’t actually begin and end with its Louisiana roots, as some of the biggest, oldest and frankly best jazz festivals in the world can be found where you might not immediately have expected them.Monterey Jazz Festival, CaliforniaQuite simply the oldest and most consistent jazz festival in the world today, the Monterey event has been held on the same fairground since 1958. Today, the festival showcases inarguably the very best jazz artists in the world, along with spoken word performances, jazz discussions, clinics, workshops and an endless array of global food, drink and shopping opportunities strewn across the vast showground.

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Etta James: RIP

It has been a rough start to 2012 for us jazz fans with the news that the legendary singer Etta James has died at her home in California. Aged 73, the soul and jazz diva had been diagnosed with leukaemia in 2011, but had been undergoing treatment for the disease. Best known for her immortal version of the classic track “At Last” as well “I’d Rather Go Blind” James had been in the music industry since she aged just 14, when she was in a singing group with some of the older girls in her area.

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Sing it from the rooftops!

I see it as my personal mission to convert as many of my friends, family and colleagues as I can to the wonderful world of jazz, despite the fact that many of them are doing their best to resist my efforts! I think jazz has a bit of an image problem; people often mistakenly think it’s an impenetrable and bemusing art form, with no recognisable tunes, which musicians just make up as they go along. The “Jazz Club” sketches on ’The Fast Show'have a lot to answer for…

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Amy Winehouse: Jazz legend

The death of young Jazz inspired musician Amy Winehouse has shocked many of us, she was a true and rare talent, with the most unique voice for jazz music imaginable. I am sure as her legacy goes on, many will continue to buy her albums and scramble to buy clothes and jewellery online to emulate her personal style. The death of Amy Winehouse will leave huge hole in the music industry and importantly one that will be difficult to fill More

Diana Krall – My Latest Jazz Favorite

I love jazz. I thank god for creating this form of music. Imagine how boring life would have been if we could never listen to anything other than work related stuff like HR software and recruitment blues?

My latest favorite in the world of jazz is Diana Krall. Why her? In an art form dominated by the likes of Billie Holiday and Nat King Cole, here is a white woman from Vancouver Island who thinks she can play jazz. It More

Experience with Jazz

Jazz is a genre of music that cuts across cultures, traditions and ages. Jazz music has crossed borders into countries that many people will not believe have a taste for such ‘western'tunes. If you are one of such people then there is nothing to be surprised about because there is no minimum qualification for the listener-ship of jazz music. For true fans, they know how endearing the sound of jazz legends is to the ears. All I am trying to More

Jazz by the sea

One of my favourite jazz festivals is the UK is approaching fast. OK, it’s not until the end of August, but I’m getting excited already. It’s going to be a long summer…

Bude Jazz Festival in Cornwall is different from many local jazz festivals out there as it celebrates the “early years” of jazz. This means that as well as music that you would describe today as jazz, you will also hear artists playing jive, swing and big band tunes, More

Travel the world via jazz

Jazz must be more popular than a lot of people think, if the sheer number of jazz festivals held each year around the world is anything to go by! You could pretty much spend the whole year travelling around Europe or even further afield, tracking some of the best modern jazz artists as they appear in some pretty exotic locations. Though if I was taking my own advice, I’d have to take an extra suitcase to act as storage for More

Jazz from then to now

Jazz was originally spelled “jass” when it was a slang term meaning “music” in Chicago in the early 20^th century AD. It spans all sorts of musical genres from ragtime waltzes to nujazz in the nineties so is a very difficult concept to definitively pin down.

Improvisation is a key element. Musicians often write and perform songs about scotch and trade insurance compare services. A skilled jazz musician might interpret a song differently to another skilled jazz musician. Jazz More

Live Music is the Best Model for Musicians Now

It’s so very difficult for musicians to make money anymore. In the past they would have made the vast majority of their money (or at least the fat cats in the record companies would have) from the sale of the physical music products. Vinyl, cassettes, CDs, mini-discs etc would have brought in the most money for the artists, and the fans seemed to really love the whole physical product. Musicians made the physical product an even more desirable product when More