—
A collection of newsworthy jazz-related headlines.
“This Week in Jazz” brings you a collection of jazz-related headlines, focusing on news, video, and articles in the new generation of jazz / hip-hop / soul. See below for the headlines you don’t want to miss this week.
PLAYLIST: NEW FADER MIX BY AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE
The acclaimed trumpeter tells a story through songs from women like Georgia Anne Muldrow, Oumou Sangare, and Anais Mitchell.
(Fader)
“Ambrose Akinmusire’s Origami Harvest was one of this year’s most compelling projects and his fourth on Blue Note. The acclaimed trumpeter joins plenty of other musicians currently experimenting within a loose overlap of jazz and hip-hop, but his perspective is singular and remarkable. On his FADER Mix, Akinmusire spins a tale through a textured sequence of songs by women such as Noname and Oumou Sangare. A vocal sample from Angela Davis hits almost like a call-to-action, halfway through the rewarding hourlong listen. Light some candles and take the inspiration.”
NANCY WILSON, GRAMMY-WINNING JAZZ SINGER AND TV PERSONALITY, DIES AT 81
(Variety)
“Nancy Wilson, one of the most revered jazz singers of the 20th century, has died, her manager told the Associated Press. She was 81.
The singer passed away at her home in Pioneertown, a small California community north of Palm Springs, after a long illness, according to manager Devra Hall.
Wilson’s three Grammy awards spanned a more than 40-year period, with her first coming in 1965 in the Best Rhythm & Blues category for her Capitol single “How Glad I Am.” Her last was in 2007, awarded for Best Jazz Vocal Album for “Turned to Blue,” her final release. (She had seven nominations in all.) Wilson’s recording career actually dates back to 1959, when she released “Like in Love,” an album arranged by the legendary Billy May.
Outside of the music intelligentsia, Wilson may be remembered by millions of TV viewers who recall her 1974-75 NBC variety series, “The Nancy Wilson Show,.” She was frequently a guest herself on the variety shows hosted by Carol Burnett, Andy Williams and Flip Wilson as well as acting on “The Cosy Show” and dramatic series like “The F.B.I.” and “Hawaii 5-O.”
From 1996 through 2005, Wilson was familiar to NPR listeners as the host of “Jazz Profiles,” a documentary series that produced more than 190 episodes. The Peabody-winning series remains available as a podcast.
She retired in 2011 after performing her last concert in Athens, Ohio, saying, “I’m not going to be doing it anymore, and what better place to end it than where I started — in Ohio.”
Wilson began her career on television in Columbus, Ohio as a teenager before moving to New York City in her 20s, following the advice of Cannonball Adderley, with whom she would later record a collaborative album. Her first record deal was with the Dot label, but upon signing with Capitol, Wilson’s early-’60s sales were said to be behind only the Beatles and ahead of Frank SInatra’s.’”
REMEMBERING NANCY WILSON: THE BEST OF ‘JAZZ PROFILES’
(NPR Music)
“In 1995, under the guidance of NPR’s Murray Horwitz and Sandra Ratley and with sizable funding from the Lila Wallace Reader’s Digest Fund — now simply The Wallace Fund — I was tasked with creating a weekly jazz documentary series. The show would celebrate this indigenous American art form in stories, and with music, from the artists themselves.
When we began discussion who might host the series, Horwitz, who came up with the idea for the show, suggested Nancy Wilson. She jumped at the opportunity.
Nancy made her debut as an NPR host in August 1995 on the Jazz Profiles pilot broadcast, a special two-hour program celebrating the 75th birthday of legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker. No further auditions were necessary.
She was the soul of Jazz Profiles. With an engaging, listenable, silky-smooth delivery, combined with a manner that evoked credibility and authority because she lived jazz and personally knew many of the artists featured, Nancy Wilson guided NPR listeners on a weekly journey through the many stories that, combined, comprise the history of jazz. She was this Peabody Award-winning series’ only host over a 7-year broadcast run, which ended in 2002.”
Read more here.
THUNDERCAT ANNOUNCES SIX-NIGHT BLUE NOTE RESIDENCY [EXCLUSIVE]
(Okayplayer.)
The Drunk artist’s residency will span February 12-17 where he’ll play a total of 14 shows. Special guests will be announced for the event too. Previously, Blue Note hosted a month-long sold out residency for Robert Glasper. During one show, Anderson .Paak joined Glasper onstage to cover Slum Village‘s “The Look of Love.” On another night of the residency, .Paak freestyled over Slum Village’s “Fall In Love” and was joined by Yasiin Bey who performed his rap classic “Ms. Fat Booty” over the song. Bey also performed with Talib Kweli during one of Glasper’s shows, the pair performing the Black Star cut “Thieves in the Night,” as well as Kweli’s “Love Language.”
Visit Okayplayer for more info.
TINY DESK CONCERT: H.E.R.
(NPR Music)
“It’s been said that you only get one chance to make a first impression. In H.E.R.’s case, you get two. She stunned us as a special guest for Daniel Caesar’s Tiny Desk concert earlier this year, in an appearance that showcased her vocal mastery. That earned her an invite to play again, front-and-center. She attacked her second go ’round with more fervor than the first, highlighting her skills as a multi-instrumentalist, maneuvering between acoustic and electric guitars, then the Fender Rhodes.
While H.E.R. stands for “Having Everything Revealed,” she’s an artist who’s built her reputation on a certain degree of anonymity. The cover art for her debut, 2016 EP, H.E.R. Volume 1, shows a woman’s silhouette over a blue backdrop. Her visuals never provide the audience a clear shot of her face and her signature accessory for every outfit is a pair of large, dark sunglasses.
As fans collectively squinted to get a better view, she delivered more projects. Another EP, H.E.R. Vol 2, came in 2017, followed months later by H.E.R. which combined songs from both volumes with a handful of new songs. The latter earned her five nominations for 2019’s Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year and Best New Artist Of The Year. She was born Gabriella Wilson to a Filipino mother and Black father. She first attracted the spotlight as a child prodigy, eventually signing a record contract when she was 14-years old. At 21, she’s yet to release her debut LP.”
Read more about the performance over at NPR.
Comments