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Joyfull Jammings at The Blue House
At night’s end, the First Saxophonist contributed a cool solo to what could be a signature tune for a president—“Every Day I Have the Blues.” Luckily, it’s already the signature tune of jazz vocalist Joe Williams, and while a poll-conscious Bill Clinton clearly might empathize with lyrics like “nobody seems to love me,” his presence last night on a stage with several dozen jazz greats was not weary confession but jubilant confirmation of his regard for the form. Keep reading »
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Jazz at the White House
To judge by the historic television program to be broadcast Sunday, America’s recently rekindled love affair with its own music, jazz, is going strong. Keep reading »
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Blues Alley Cat Wynton Marsalis
WYNTON MARSALIS has enjoyed an unusual relationship with the Blues Alley nightclub over the years. Not only has the jazz trumpeter recorded a live album there and conducted numerous workshops with the Blues Alley Youth Orchestra, but he continues to play in the Georgetown club every December even though he now has the commercial clout to headline at Wolf Trap and other theaters. Keep reading »
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Wynton Marsalis, Young Lion of Jazz
A year ago, even if people hadn’t heard the prodigious trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, they’d probably heard of him. Then, on last year’s Grammy awards, when Marsalis became the first instrumentalist to win “best soloist” awards in both jazz and classical categories, they also heard from him. Keep reading »