Great Day in Philly
On Friday April 13th, Philadelphia-area jazz musicians and Mayor Nutter gathered for another Great Day in Philadelphia photo to raise money to rehabilitate the Coltrane House, which has fallen into disrepair. The mayor also honored Charlie Rice - read all about it!
|
News and Notes . . .First, let's have a wave of applause for filmmaker Jason Fifield who has been nominated for an award for Best Short Form Jazz News Video by the Jazz Journalists Association for his short film on the Clef Club!
Second, Wendy finished our 990 form this year and we submitted our information to the PA Cultural Data Project so YOU can see how we did last year! Click here. Remember - we are an ALL-VOLUNTEER organization, so 90% of your donations went directly to our mission! |
Jazz Doings
And we have tons of events, so print out every Jazz Bridge show for this month by clicking HERE.
On April 22, the Somers Point Jazz Society will be giving their 2012 Jazz Master Award to WRTI Jazz Host (and Jazz Bridge board member!) Bob Perkins. Festivities start at 4 pm at the Sandi Point Coastal Bistro.
Congrats Bob!
Henrietta Shelton and the Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation have cooked up some spring jazz concerts at the Tropicana every Thursday from April 5th to May 10th.
AND...
Rob Henderson's
Sunday Sessions at the LaRose Jazz Club every Sunday from 6-10 pm.
Bring your ax!
Check out our new calendar, compliments of All About Jazz and all the jazz dates within 50 miles of the city! |
Please support our mission
Donate to Jazz Bridge - it's only a click away!
|
|
|
Appearing at Jazz in Media! on Wednesday, April 18th, for National Jazz Appreciation Month will be guitarist Jerry Topinka and his band at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Media, PA. Topinka's last CD Summer Nights was released to critical acclaim in September 2009 and critics were captivated by his melodic and intricate playing style, the project's stellar array of musicians, and the songs' masterful arrangements. Jerry Topinka began playing guitar in 1954 and eventually studied with two of the top guitarists of the time - Al Caiola and Joe Cinderella. At the age of 16, Jerry began playing professionally as a featured jazz guitarist in a Bergen County nightclub. Legendary guitarist, the late Les Paul would often stop by to hear Topinka play. Not a bad start! Jerry Topinka's appearances have ranged from intimate jazz clubs to major US tours with noted artists, plus his special guest appearances with Les Paul at the Iridium in NYC. In the 1970s, Topinka toured the country playing alongside stars such as Buddy Rich and Gloria Gaynor. Topinka appears prominently on the album Wind by Tchin and Yovani, which was nominated in 2000 for a GRAMMY Award in the Native American category, and he played the 2000 U.S. and Canadian tour of A.R. Rahman, the acclaimed Indian performer and composer, who won a 2009 Golden Globe and three Academy Awards for his music in Slum Dog Millionaire.  ****
Appearing at Jazz at the Playhouse series on Thursday April 19th at the Society Hill Playhouse will be trumpeter Josh Lawrence and his band, featuring pianist Luke Carlos O'Reilly, bassist Leon Boykins and Anwar Marshall on drums. Lawrence is an internationally acclaimed musician, composer, bandleader and educator living in Philadelphia where he is on faculty at the University of the Arts. He is a prominent jazz artist with two records to his name, leads his own NEW Quartet featuring rising talents from New York City and Philadelphia, performs regularly with the Captain Black Big Band and has become a popular sideman on the neo-soul and jazz scenes. Early in his career,he moved to the historic Sugar Hill neighborhood in Harlem where he co-founded the Uptown Brass at the Church of the Intercession in Washington Heights, worked as musical director for the band Harlem Psychedelic and taught on faculty as brass instructor at Bronx Arts and Bronx Lab. Josh Lawrence's second studio album Roots is an autobiographical song-cycle featuring nine original compositions - an individual story of the streets and sounds of New York City and Philadelphia - as told through a new, unique and soulful voice.Atane Ofiaja from Elements of Jazz wrote, "The sound is pure, unadulterated New York City and Philadelphia jazz... ROOTS is one of the freshest albums I've heard... All nine cuts can stand on their own merit. Collectively, it makes it a fantastic album."
There is parking right across the street from Society Hill Playhouse or folks can take the High Speed Line to 9th/10th and Locust stop and walk two blocks to 8th street to the venue. Free parking in lot at Kennett Flash and on street. Metered parking in Collingswood. Onsite free parking Cheltenham and Media. |
Please support our Musicians and Buy Your Tickets Now and the first 100 ticket buyers will get a $10 gift at the door! Kim Tucker is continuing to build our fabulous fundraiser in April. She has booked saxophonist Jerry Weldon with Lucas Brown, Justin Sekelewski, and Rob Henderson for our Jammin' for Jazz Bridge fundraiser at Chris' Jazz Cafe on April 27th and she's also putting together a dynamite jam session that same night that includes some wonderful artists including pianist Dennis Fortune, singers Suzanne Burgess, Denise Montana, and Rhenda Fearrington, drummer Vince Ecter, saxophonists Ben Britton and Victor North, trombonist Don Collins , guitarist Charles Ellerbe, and saxophonist Odean Pope and Larry McKenna - more to be announced! Don't miss this close out to National Jazz Appreciation Month and the kick-off to that weekend's Center City Jazz Festival and the union reunion (local 274) at the Philadelphia Clef Club! |
|
The reception at the Kimmel Center on April 3rd for "Philly Jazz: A View Through the Lens" - was a SMASH! Everyone was there and it's still getting rave reviews. Still time to find out what all the buzz is about - the exhibition is running until the end of the month and features the work of Anthony Dean, L. David Hinton, Ben Johnson, Howard Pitkow and videographer Jason Fifield. Don't wait until the last minute...check it out!
|
|
|