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    KCSM Jazz 91See's Candies  
Week 2: July 2-3     

Catch the latest Stanford Jazz Festival buzz:

In addition to some incredible jazz this weekend, including our special family-friendly Early Bird Jazz for Kids presentation with Jim Nadel & Friends (scroll down for details), we've got a few announcements for you...

Second set added to July 29th's Stevie Wonder tribute
Due to popular demand, we've added a second set to our special Visions: The Stevie Wonder Songbook show on Thursday, July 29. Purchase tickets for either the 7:30 PM or 9 PM show online!

Mercury News Guides you through the festival
Andrew Gilbert of the Mercury News calls the Stanford Jazz Festival "the highest quality, lowest glitz jazz festival in the state," in a piece published last week. And if by "glitz," he means "pretension," he's absolutely right - we work hard to make jazz accessible to music lovers of all stripes, and Gilbert does a great job of walking readers through some festival highlights. [Read the full article online]

“You Call That Jazz?” Series continues Tonight
Don’t know bebop from bossa nova? Can’t tell Count Basie from Cecil Taylor? Get the inside scoop from jazz pianist and educator Mike Greensill, along with special guest artists. Tonight's 7 PM class, held at the Palo Alto Jewish Cultural Center, focuses on "The Building Blocks of Jazz" and includes musical examples. For details about the ongoing series and to register, visit the JCC online.

This Week at Stanford Jazz Festival:

Fri July 2 | The Music of Billy Strayhorn
Sat July 3 | Early Bird Jazz for Kids: Jim Nadel and Friends
Sat July 3 | Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio

Order Tickets:
>>Online: stanfordjazz.org
>>Phone: 650 725 ARTS (2787)
>>Group Sales: 650 736 0324

Complete Festival Calendar
TAKE 5! Discount Ticket Program and Group Sales
Venue information & Directions
Special Event Info such as the Coho Jams

 

   

In This Issue
> The Music of Billy Strayhorn

> Early Bird Jazz for Kids: Jim Nadel and Friends

> Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio

> Next week at Stanford Jazz Festival

 


The Music of Billy Strayhorn
Patrick Wolff, saxophone; Erik Jekabson, trumpet; Adam Shulman, piano; Marcus Shelby, bass; Smith Dobson V, drums

Friday July 2 | 8 PM | Campbell Recital Hall
Tickets: $28 general | $16 students

photo of Billy StrayhornInside Jazz: Insights on Billy Strayhorn
Speaker: Sonny Buxton | 7 pm (free with concert ticket)

Although his star was often eclipsed by his larger-than-life mentor, Duke Ellington, jazz insiders know that Billy Strayhorn - whom Duke referred to as "my right arm, my left arm...the eyes in the back of my head" - was the genius behind many of Ellington's most memorable tunes. From the signature anthem "Take the 'A' Train" to the evocative "Lush Life," Strayhorn's compositions have all the sophistication and inventiveness of the Ellington style, as well as a unique lyricism all their own. "There's something romantic about Billy Strayhorn's music that I really love and find so refreshing in this age where angular and heady music seems to predominate," says pianist Adam Shulman. "Strayhorn succeeds in being both cerebral and soulful at the same time."

For this heartfelt tribute, Shulman has arranged Strayhorn's timeless compositions for his quintet, allowing his cast of top Bay Area improvisers creative freedom while preserving the essence of the original big band orchestrations. Adam Shulman's piano has been a staple of the Bay Area jazz scene since he arrived in San Francisco in 2002. Shulman has played with Bay Area icons like Marcus Shelby and Andrew Speight, as well as internationally renowned jazz stars like Bobby Hutcherson and Miguel Zenon.

Supported in part by Joan Talbert & David Lyon.

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Early Bird Jazz For Kids: Jim Nadel and Friends
Jeff Sanford, flute/clarinet; Jim Nadel, alto saxophone; Stefan Cohen, tenor saxophone; Khalil Shaheed, trumpet; Natalie Cressman, trombone; Mads Tolling, violin; Allegra Bandy, vocals; Glen Pearson, piano; Ruth Davies, bass; Akira Tana, drums

Saturday | July 3 | Dinkelspiel Auditorium
10 AM (Kids 5 and under) / 11 AM (Kids 6 and over)
Tickets: $5 advance purchase | $10 at the door | Kids under 18 free!
Ticket purchases are good for one or both shows.

An early introduction to jazz can set the stage for a lifetime of learning and fun! Jazz music has valuable lessons for children of all ages. It shows the joy of creativity, emphasizes the importance of cooperation, and embodies a democratic ideal: all voices are equally important.

photo of Jim NadelThe gift of music appreciation can enrich a child's development in many ways, including strengthening learning and social skills. The only drawback is that you can't take your kids to a jazz bar or nightclub to hear it! Stanford Jazz Workshop founder Jim Nadel and a host of the Bay Area's finest musicians have the perfect solution: an entertaining, informative introduction to jazz presented in a kid-friendly environment (and at a family-friendly price!).

Nadel, whom saxophone legend Jimmy Heath calls "the number one advocate for [jazz] music out West - an educational giant," has decades of experience at the forefront of jazz education and first-hand knowledge about the music's history and some of its most colorful characters. In this engaging and interactive program, Nadel and friends will demonstrate musical styles, concepts, and instruments from the world of jazz. Come for one or both sets, and take advantage of this great opportunity to get your kids hip - they'll thank you for it later!

Supported in part by Alice Lee & Gregory Melchor.

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Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio

Dr. Lonnie Smith, organ; Jonathan Kreisberg, guitar; Ben Perowsky, drums

Saturday, July 3 | 8 pm | Dinkelspiel Auditorium
Tickets: $28 general | $16 students | TAKE 5!

You might never have seen organist Dr. Lonnie Smith perform live - you might not even have heard his name - but chances are you've heard his music. Hip-hop artists from Run DMC to the Wu-Tang Clan have incorporated snippets of his classic recordings into their tracks, making him one of the most sampled jazz artists ever. It's easy to see why Dr. Smith's music speaks just as powerfully to a new generation as it did in the '60s and '70s: the sound of his Hammond B3 organ is the epitome of grooving soul, an incredibly powerful and versatile instrument.

Image of Dr. Lonnie SmithDr. Smith commands its full sonic range in every performance, whether supporting a soloist with quietly purring chords, pounding out a funky vamp, or pulling out all the stops (literally) to make the instrument roar. In the words of JazzTimes, Dr. Smith can "light up a room with visceral intensity or lay down some of the nastiest funk ever played on an organ" and "one of the most influential organists to ever man the helm of a Hammond B3."

Dr. Smith's recent album Rise Up shows the iconic organ master at the top of his form. Along with an all-star band including Stanford Jazz veterans Peter Bernstein and Donald Harrison, he tears into a set of originals, jazz classics, and surprising covers. From sanctified blues to outrageously funky grooves, Dr. Lonnie Smith's inimitable soul-jazz sounds are as potent as ever, and his Stanford performance is not to be missed!

Supported in part by Bruce Powell.

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Next Week
at Stanford Jazz Festival:

photo of tuck & patti
Fri July 9 | Fred Hersch: Jobim and more
Sat July 10 | Early Bird Latin Jazz for Kids: John Santos Sextet
Sat July 10 | Tuck & Patti
Sun july 11 | Ella Fitzgerald: Tribute to America's First Lady of Song

  Order Tickets: stanfordjazz.org / 650 725 ARTS (2787)


 
 


Thanks To Our Sponsors
Through cash sponsorships and in-kind donations, our 2010 Festival sponsors help to make the Stanford Jazz Festival and Workshop possible. SJW gratefully acknowledges the following sponsors for their generosity: See’s Candies, Presenting Sponsor of the 2010 Stanford Jazz Festival; Department of Music at Stanford University; KCSM FM 91.1; Palo Alto Weekly; Rosewood Sand Hill Hotel; Stanford Park Hotel; Avid; Vin, Vino, Wine; Gordon Biersch Brewing Company; CoHo; Western Jazz Presenters Network; Stanford Blood Center; Gallien Krueger; Yamaha Drums.

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