Jazz Blog » Herbie Hancock

Bobby Hutcherson Oblique Jazz Music CD Review

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 01:16:25 +0000

The exceptionally talented Jazz artist Bobby Hutcherson has released him CD entitled Oblique. I am very confident and happy to announce that I believe Bobby Hutcherson fans, and Jazz fans alike will be pleased with this one. With the release of Oblique Bobby Hutcherson’s artistic excellence is on full display as Hutcherson has once again delivered a brilliant collection of tracks that could very well be him best work to date.

It’s a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I’m more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all.

Refreshingly, this was one of those CDs I was able to just pop in and comfortably listen to from beginning to end. Every track is enjoyable and was pretty easy for me to listen to from start to finish.

Jazz music fans will recognize some of the well known guests that have been assembled to play along with Hutcherson on several of the tracks. Artists like Alfred Lion and Rudy Van Gelder just to name a couple.

If you’re a Bobby Hutcherson fan, or just a fan of Jazz music this is a CD your collection simply should not be without.

While the entire CD is outstanding some of my favorites are track 2 – My Joy, track 4 – Subtle Neptune, and track 6 – Bi-Sectional

My Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 1 – Til Then. What a nice track!

Oblique Release Notes:

Bobby Hutcherson originally released Oblique on August 2, 2005 on the Blue Note Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Til Then

2. My Joy

3. Theme From “Blow Up”

4. Subtle Neptune

5. Oblique

6. Bi-Sectional

Personnel: Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Herbie Hancock (piano); Albert Stinson (bass instrument); Joe Chambers (drums).

Recording information: Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey (07/21/1967).

By: Clyde Lee Dennis

Music Theme Cruises – Christian, Country, Smooth Jazz, Rock and Roll – Just to Name a Few

admin — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:15:37 +0000

More and more, cruising is becoming music to our ears.

Whether you’re into Christian Music, Smooth Jazz, Country, Rock and Roll or any of the numerous musical choices, there’s something for everyone on today’s cruise ships.

Coming up soon, November 2-9, 2008, famous saxophonist Dave Koz kicks off his annual Smooth Jazz cruise with a 7-day voyage through the Caribbean. (Take note some of the originally scheduled ports-of-call have changed due to recent hurricane damage.) It’s called Dave Koz and Friends at Sea and there are still a few cabins available on Holland America’s Westerdam. I enjoyed listening to the popular musician when he previously co-hosted the morning show on KTWV Radio in Los Angeles with the delightful Pat Prescott.

If you can’t make it in November, the first ever Playboy Jazz Cruise hosts some very impressive artists this coming January. They include Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, Poncho Sanchez and many others. This is also a 7-day Caribbean sailing and runs from January 25 – February 1, 2009 on the same ship, Holland America’s Westerdam.

Here’s an interesting thought with this voyage. It returns to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Superbowl Sunday, February 1. The 2009 Superbowl is being held in Tampa, Florida that same Sunday, which isn’t that far from Ft. Lauderdale. It takes about an hour to fly, or three to four hours to drive. At latest check the one-way airfare on Southwest was running anywhere from $70 to $170. I’m just throwing this out there because for me, it would be a great way to help cure the post-vacation blues. As most of us know, the toughest part of a vacation is the close of it. With something like this to look forward to, it would help ease the transition coming home. As I said, just a thought.

The same company organizing the above two cruises is also putting together a Smooth Jazz cruise that runs the week prior to the Playboy cruise. This one is from January 18-25, 2009 and offers a backstage pass to the sounds of Wayman Tisdale, Peabo Bryson, Kirk Whalum among many other top jazz musicians. It’s also on Holland America’s Westerdam.

By the way, these three cruises are fully chartered cruises. What that means is the entire ship focuses on the featured jazz artists and jazz-related events. It’s not just one corner of the ship that highlights music. So if you’re a jazz fan, this is a great way to indulge your passion. If you’re not a jazz fan, I’d check out some other music cruise options. There are many music cruises available. Country, Christian, Rock and Roll, Irish, Big Band, 50’s and 60’s, just to name a few.

If you’d like to find out about other music theme cruises scheduled on the various cruise ships, check out my theme cruise website listed below and you’ll be able to link to several music cruises. By the way, Music is just one of more than 50 themes listed at my cruise theme website.

Happy Travels!

By: Shelley Lash-Cooper

Jazz Piano

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:36:00 +0000

Jazz piano is one of the most vibrant, energetic, specialized types of music. Famous jazz artists you may want to listen to are Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarret, Bill Evans, to name but a few. To learn jazz piano you need to take some time to listen to jazz CD’s and maybe watch DVD’s as well. To learn jazz piano, one needs to be very patient and dedicated to practicing the genre.

Jazz piano is characterized by a lot of improvisation. A jazz musician can be given a fake music sheet or chord chart and he can improvise on the spot over those chord progressions. It is recommended that a jazz musician know or have standard songs in their repertoire. Standard songs include songs like “Willow Weep for Me,” “Summertime,” and “Georgia on My Mind” to name but a few. Standard songs are songs that have been covered by many recording artists in the past, usually every year. For example one may consider the gospel song “Amazing Grace” a standard gospel song because a lot of artists have covered the song throughout the years.

Knowledge of scales and chords are essential tools needed to be a good jazz musician, let alone the technique needed to play this genre. As a jazz musician you will need to practice different types of scales, chords, arpeggios, staccato playing, legato playing, playing chords on the left hand while playing scales in the right hand at the same time.

To learn jazz you need to start with the basics: minor and major scales and minor and major chords. Once you master these then you can go forth to learning advanced chords(jazz chords) and scales. These chords include diminished, dominant, major nine, tritone chords, etc. Advanced scales will entail learning lydian, diminished, chromatic, melodic minor scales, for example.

You must remember that when it comes to playing the piano, it is not how you play but how you play is very essential as well. This is the reason why you need technique: how hard or soft do you play the notes, how you sit at the piano, breathing, how you position your hands and fingers on the piano, playing chords and scales, etc.

You will definitely need resources to play the piano, someone to hold you by the hand. The key to mastering jazz piano is to learn (get as much information as possible), patience and practice!practice!practice!

By: Jay Mtimkulu

Jazz Festivals of the Caribbean

admin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:23:16 +0000

The islands of the Caribbean Sea, sometimes referred to as the West Indies, are an extensive archipelago in the far west of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly strung between South and North America. The largest of these, known as the Greater Antilles, include the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. In addition there are dozens of small tropical islands arched between the north coast of South America and the larger islands, known as the Lesser Antilles, all offering year-round good weather, golden coral sand beaches, lush landscapes and calm turquoise waters.

As a result, the Caribbean has long been known as a resort vacation destination for honeymooners and retirees, but in recent years, a significant amount of visitors have been attracted by the many jazz festivals held in the region. These appeal to jazz aficionados of all levels, whether you’ve only just discovered the magic of Miles Davis’ seminal ‘Kind of Blue’ or whether you keep your iPod stocked with the latest releases from Blue Note.

The most popular of these is the St. Lucia Jazz Festival, held annually on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. Initially held in order to extend the tourist season into May, which had previously been a relatively quiet period, it soon attracted a sizeable audience thanks in no small part to coverage on the BET J television network. Today it is a well-established fixture on the jazz festival calendar, attracting international and local acts playing jazz, R&B and calypso. Past performers at the event include Herbie Hancock, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, George Benson, The Isley Brothers, Santana, UB40, Lauryn Hill, Luther Vandross, Smokey Robinson and Courtney Pine. Since its inception, the festival has grown from being merely a marketing tool into becoming a defining part of the island’s cultural calendar and was recently ranked the No. 1 Festival in the world by E! Entertainment.

Other major jazz festivals in the Caribbean include the St. Kitts Music Festival, held at the end of June, the Anguilla Jazz Fest at the beginning of November and the Cayman Islands Jazz festival, held in the first week of December.

Of course, those wishing to experience ’soft adventures’, such as snorkelling, hiking, and trail riding will find their desires more than catered for in the Caribbean, with St. Lucia even offering the world’s only drive-in Volcano.

So if you’re looking to take combine the breathtaking scenery, relaxed atmosphere and a love of jazz, R&B and calypso music, why not book a holiday in the Caribbean today?

By: Andrew Regan

Jacksonville Jazz Festival

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 22:36:03 +0000

There are many parts of Florida that, through no fault of their own, are often overshadowed by Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, simply because of the peerless nightlife that can be found in these cities. Jacksonville is one such city; it is Florida’s largest, and has a huge number of activities and attractions, but you rarely hear it mentioned in the same breath as Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, or even Orlando. There’s really no reason for this, other than its comparatively remote location, and serious Florida travelers should consider visiting, as you will never run out of things to do in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville offers shops and restaurants that rival those found in any other part of Florida, has twenty miles of Atlantic coast, several championship golf courses, and a handful of state parks to explore. Having an abundance of both city and outdoor attractions means that Jacksonville is a fantastic vacation destination. For those who enjoy shopping (as well as historic districts), check out the Avondale/Riverside district on the north bank of the St. Johns River. There is also a quaint shopping district in San Marco Square, south of the river. If you seek more cultural/educational destinations, Jacksonville has those in spades as well – check out the Jacksonville Historical Center and the Jacksonville Maritime Museum. If you enjoy music, you’re in luck, because Jacksonville hosts the second largest jazz festival in the nation.

If there is one thing you should go to Jacksonville for, it is the Jazz Festival. They have so many fantastic musicians all in one place, it’s really a must see for jazz fans. Last year, the highlight for me was undoubtedly Herbie Hancock performing with Marcus Miller on bass and one of my favorite up-and-comers on guitar, Lionel Loueke. One of the best things about the festival is that it is by no means only for aficionados. Many people get there first real exposure to jazz at this festival, and end up loving it for the rest of their lives. It’s really worth it if you can make it – the 2007 festival runs from April 12-15.

But, how best to get to Jacksonville for the festivities? Why, it shouldn’t surprise you that a limousine is the preferred mode of transportation for anyone in Florida. Limousines enhance any pleasurable experience, so keep Mirage in mind when you head to the festival this coming April!

By: Nicholas Jurkowski