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Bob Ravenscroft’s Inner Journeys Trio kicks off JiA-Kerr Series Oct. 6 |
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By Joel Goldenthal
Pianist Bob Ravenscroft and the Inner Journeys trio will perform a program of “Refreshing Standards” on Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. The concert kicks off the 2010-2011 Jazz in Concert Series, co-produced by Jazz in AZ and the ASU Kerr Cultural Center.
“We’re calling our program ‘Refreshing Standards’ because of the way that we use familiar tunes as a spring board to explore other potential musical realms that may exist inside, outside or in between the tunes,” says the group’s drummer-percussionist Rob Moore. “We’ll be playing familiar jazz standards such as ‘Emily,’ ‘What is This Thing Called Love?’ and ‘You and the Night and the Music.’ ”
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New-to-Valley vocalist Hope Morgan to deliver “Sugar” at Oct. 17 JiA party |
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By Joel Goldenthal
Hope Morgan is a newcomer to the valley’s jazz scene, but not to jazz by any means. She was raised in the rich jazz culture of New York City; began singing in a church choir at the age of 5, then studied voice, violin and piano, and learned standard jazz repertoire. During her college years, Hope had the opportunity to study with such great musicians as Archie Shepp, Stanley Cowell, Marlon Brown, Ken McIntyre and Max Roach. She was further influenced by vocal jazz greats Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Carmen McRae.
Hope moved to Austin, Texas, in 1977 to attend graduate school, and started singing in the early-eighties, honing her craft specializing in “authentic” straight-ahead vocal jazz. In 1995 the City of Austin declared June 8th “Hope Morgan Day.” That year, the Austin Jazz Players and Critics Poll named her “Best Female Jazz Vocalist.” Over the years, Hope Morgan has performed in countless concert series including Austin’s Women In Jazz and Jazz at St. James, as well as at many local jazz clubs throughout Texas.
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ZAZU: Django’s French Hot Club Gypsy Jazz ignites Sept. 19 JiA party |
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By Joel Goldenthal
An article in Voice of America last December proclaimed, “Gypsy Jazz Invades America.” The article was referring to the proliferation of groups bringing this “French music” to American audiences, a music that is enjoying popularity worldwide, crossing lines of age, musical genre and more.
One such group devoted to gypsy jazz has its origin in Sedona where bassist Steve Douglas formed ZAZU. “The group's name comes from the word ‘Zazous’, the young French Bohemians of the 1930s who were huge fans of American singer-bandleader Cab Calloway's scat music,” Douglas explains. "During the German occupation of France from 1940 on, the Zazous frequented places where the hip jazzy gypsy music was played, but always in fear of being arrested and shipped off to camps or jail. So, in tribute to them and the risks they took for the love of this music, we call ourselves ZAZU," says Douglas.
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