Bird with Strings airs this Sunday on KCSM

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One of the highlights of the 2011 Stanford Jazz Festival wasBird with Strings on July 16, which featured SJW faculty member Andrew Speight on alto saxophone, the Alexander String Quartet with guests, and a killin’ rhythm section. They performed arrangements written for Charlie Parker and strings by the best arrangers in jazz; performing these arrangements was pretty much the focus of Charlie Parker’s life in early 1950s, so their significance can’t be overstated. But if you attended Jazz Camp or Jazz Residency, this concert happened before you arrived at Stanford, so you couldn’t catch this prime opportunity to hear this great music played by Andrew at his bebop best.

You and anyone else who missed the original performance of this amazing show are in luck! KCSM Jazz 91.1 FM will broadcast the performance this Sunday evening, September 25, at 8:00 p.m. Pacific time! Hosted by Jim Bennett on his In The Moment show, the performance was not only historic — many of the arrangements have not been heard since Charlie Parker himself performed them — but it was also music of the highest caliber.

This Sunday evening, September 25, at 8:00 p.m., you can tune in via radio or the internet to hear the concert: visit KCSM’s web site for more information by clicking here.

For more info about Jim Bennett and the In The Moment show, click here.

You can read the program notes from the original concert by downloading a PDF file here, and see the original event information on the Stanford Jazz Festival web site here.

Lee Hildebrand wrote an excellent article on Andrew Speight for the San Francisco Chronicle just prior to the performance of Bird with Strings; you can read it here.

See photos of the original performance by clicking here.

For more information on Andrew Speight, visit his own website here, and see his page on the San Francisco State University web site here.

Don’t forget to tune in this Sunday!

Download the Jazz Residency Concert Roster here

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Tonight’s the night! Everyone is excited for the big show at Jazz Residency this evening.

The Concert Roster lets you quickly find your Resident (or Residents), and the location of their perfomance (or performances).

You can download it by clicking on this link!

The Concert Roster lists all performers:

  • alphabetically
  • with the name of the venue in which they’ll be performing
  • and the numerical order in which they’ll be performing

Each performance by an instrumental combo takes about 10 minutes, with two to three minutes of setup and teardown time for a total of about 15 minutes for each instrumental combo. So if your Resident’s schedule says:

04 Dinkelspiel Auditorium

That means they are the fourth combo to play tonight in Dinkelspiel, which opens at 7:15 p.m. If each of the three previous combos take approximately 10 minutes each, then your Resident’s combo will go on at approximately 7:45.

If your Resident is giving a vocal performance in Braun Rehearsal Hall, please note that vocal performances take approximately 5 minutes each. So if your Resident’s schedule says:

04 Braun Rehearsal Hall

This means your camper is singing fourth in Braun, which would be at approximately 7:35 p.m.

Keep in mind that timings are approximate! All the venues are very close to each other, so you’ll never have far to go to find your Resident — as you can see from the map above.

The schedule for the evening will go something like this:

7:15 p.m. Jazz Residency Performances at CoHo
A show at CoHo is always fun, with food and drink available as you listen.

7:15 p.m. Braun Rehearsal Hall Vocal Performances
The vocal performances are in a beautifully-lit hall, and accompanied by a professional jazz trio.

7:15 p.m. Campbell Recital Hall Combo Performances
This intimate recital hall makes the Residents sound great.

7:15 p.m. Dinkelspiel Recital Hall Combo Performances
There’s nothing like performing on the big stage of Dinkelspiel.

We have made every effort to schedule the venues appropriately to allow parents who have more than one child at Jazz Residency to see both combo performances.  We have also done our best to honor requests to play early or late.  At this point, we cannot make changes to the concert schedule.  Please do not contact our office to request changes.

Win tickets to Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes this Saturday, July 9

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Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes are two of the best jazz pianists in the world. And they’re married. So when they decided to perform together at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, they had a tough compromise to make: Who was bringing the rhythm section?

Bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash are the beneficiaries of this decision. But so are you, as together, Renee and Bill have been playing with Peter and Lewis for well over a decade; this is going to be one heck of a great show! The performance is Saturday night at 8 p.m. in Dinkelspiel Auditorium on the campus of Stanford University, and you can be there for free!

Just be among the first 10 people to answer this question correctly: From whose trio did Peter Washington and Lewis Nash come originally, from Bill’s or from Renee’s?

The winning answers must be correct for both Peter and Lewis!

Email your answer to [email protected]. Winners will be notified by return email. Tickets will be held at Will Call on the evening of the performance, on July 9. Box office opens 1 hour prior to showtime, at 7 p.m.

Good luck!

 

SJW iPhone app now available

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sjf-2013-ios_icon-v2 FINALKeep up with the Stanford Jazz Festival, Jazz Camp, and Jazz Residency on the go! This app is a guide to the Stanford Jazz Workshop’s summer Jazz Festival and related activities, such as Jazz Camps, Summer Classes and Special Events. It contains comprehensive information about all of the festival’s concerts, artists, venues, sponsors and ticketing, and it allows you to explore all of these in whatever level of detail you desire.

Click here to download the SJW iPhone app now!

SF Chronicle interviews Andrew Speight in Sunday Datebook

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Of the music of Charlie Parker, Andrew Speight told Chronicle writer Lee Hildebrand that “It had all the precision and beauty of Bach or Mozart.” The fascinating article delves deep into Andrew’s upbringing in a jazz-focused family in Australia, and is available in today’s Sunday San Francisco Chronicle, or you can read it online by clicking here. Andrew performs a special concert of the music of Charlie Parker this coming Saturday, July 16, at 8 p.m. in Dinkelspiel Auditorium on the Stanford campus. Called “Bird with Strings,” the show will present arrangements written for Charlie Parker at his request that showcase his superb melodic gifts backed by strings, oboe, and rhythm section. This is a rare opportunity to hear one of the great modern exponents of bebop (Andrew Speight) interpreting these astonishing arrangements, and you can find out more by clicking here.

Study songwriting at SJW

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Acclaimed singer/songwriter Rebecca Martin returns to SJW this summer to lead an expanded program for aspiring songwriters. Taking place during Jazz Residency (July 31 – August 5), the SJW Songwriting Program offers students an opportunity to become immersed in the craft of creating and performing original songs with Rebecca and two additional rising stars of the New York jazz and songwriting scene: Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens. Collectively, these three talented musicians have collaborated with the greatest talents in the songwriting and jazz worlds today, including Norah Jones, Jesse Harris, Brad Mehldau, Esperanza Spalding, Wayne Shorter, Paul Motian, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Taylor Eigsti, Larry Grenadier, and many more.

Open to all instrumentalists and vocalists, expanded Songwriting Program offers a full schedule of classes and activities, including a daily theory class focused on turning original songs into charts that any musician can read, a daily masterclass that addresses many topics related to the art of songwriting, rehearsals, and workshops where participants can share ideas and get feedback from fellow students and Songwriting faculty. Students will perform their songs-in-progress for each other each day, under the direction of Rebecca, Gretchen, and Becca, and with support from other Jazz Residency faculty such as Larry Grenadier, Reid Anderson, and Jenny Scheinman.

Please note that students enrolled in the Songwriting Program have activities during both the early and late combo periods, so they will not also be able to play in a student combo or participate in the Vocal Performance program.

The Songwriting Program will conclude at the end of the week-long workshop with public performances at a popular venue on the Stanford University campus on Friday, August 5; please note that Songwriting Program participants will not perform at the Thursday night Participant Recital.

Rebecca says the goals of the Songwriting Program are “to inspire, instruct, facilitate, and empower songwriters to craft meaningful songs through self exploration, collaborations, and band performances.”

For more information about the Songwriting Program, please write toIvor Holloway.

Click on a name to learn more about Rebecca Martin, Gretchen Parlato, and Becca Stevens.

To register, click on the Register button above and be sure to check the Songwriting option.

2011 official Festival lineup released

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Alright, jazz fans, here’s the part you’ve been waiting for: The official lineup for the 2011 Stanford Jazz Festival, June 24 – August 6. Tickets go on sale on May 2! All events on the Stanford campus at Dinkelspiel Auditorium or Campbell Recital Hall.

Opening Night

Two nights! Rare Bay Area appearance!

SJW announces 2011 Jazz Festival

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Allen_ToussaintProviding an intimate interaction of jazz and community found nowhere else, the Stanford Jazz Festival is pleased to announce the lineup of its 40th season. Beginning on June 24 with Grammy®-winning, New Orleans-based living legend Allen Toussaint (at right), presenting rare appearances by the great Brazilian songwriter and singer Milton Nascimento, and winding up in August with an all-star week that includes Joe Lovano and the Bad Plus, the Festival will present upwards of 100 of the world’s greatest jazz artists in the comfortable and convenient setting of the Stanford University campus.
JIm_NadelUnique among jazz festivals in the way it brings great jazz artists together to collaborate and to work closely with students, the Stanford Jazz Festival is the result of the vision of founder and Artistic and Executive Director Jim Nadel (pictured, left). “Our community-based approach to teaching and nurturing jazz has resonated with a great many musicians over the years,” says Nadel. “The musicians’ love for the music and the open exchange of ideas have been the key ingredients in the success of our Jazz Camp and Jazz Residency programs as well as the world-class performances that characterize the Stanford Jazz Festival.”

Milton_NascimentoAs he’s done for each of the Festival seasons since 1972, Nadel has put together a compelling mix of styles and talent that includes living legends of jazz (Allen Toussaint, Oscar Castro-Neves, George Cables, Milton Nascimento – pictured right, Ndugu Chancler, and Jimmy and Tootie Heath), international marquee artists (Gary Burton, Bill Frisell, Irvin Mayfield, Wallace Roney, Robben Ford, Bill Charlap, and Renee Rosnes), and buzz-generating younger musicians (Gretchen Parlato, Anat Cohen, Claudia Acuña, Charlie Hunter, Scott Amendola, Marcus Shelby, Taylor Eigsti, Julian Lage, and Yosvany Terry).

Madeline_EastmanUnderscoring the status of the Stanford Jazz Workshop’s programs as among the elite in all of jazz education, well over half of this year’s Stanford Jazz Festival events feature performers who are alumni or faculty of the Jazz Camp or Jazz Residency programs, which run concurrently with the Festival between July 17 and August 5 this year. Among the superstar faculty and former students who will appear are Madeline Eastman (pictured left), Larry Grenadier, Jenny Scheinman, Ruth Davies, Ethan Iverson, Taylor Eigsti, Julian Lage, Victor Lin, Patrick Wolff, Bennett Paster, and Joe Gilman.

Claudia_AcunaWhile Nadel often features his passion for bebop in his programming, his vision encompasses all styles. In 2011, Festival fans will be treated to a rainbow of world jazz, including Brazilian (two special shows with Milton Nascimento, Oscar Castro-Neves), Chilean (Claudia Acuña, pictured right), Colombian (Edmar Castaneda), and Afro-Cuban (Yosvany Terry). For classic standards and swing, the Festival has several special shows, including clarinetist Ken Peplowski; Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat “King” Cole featuring vocalist Allan Harris; and For Singing and Swinging: The Great American Songsmiths featuring Clairdee and Bobbe Norris. Bassist Ruth Davies hosts the perennial favorite Blues Night, which this year features the world-renowned guitarist Robben Ford as the special guest artist.

Complete details on the 2011 Stanford Jazz Festival lineup will be available here by the end of April. Festival artist information will include song samples and video clips, so ticket buyers can sample each performance.

Tickets for the Stanford Jazz Festival go on sale May 2. Buy tickets by phone: 650-725-ARTS (2787). Buy tickets online by clicking the buttons on this page once they’re active on May 2. For more information, call 650-736-0324.

The Stanford Jazz Festival is presented by the jazz education nonprofit Stanford Jazz Workshop, in conjunction with presenting sponsor See’s Candies. Stanford Jazz Workshop has been bringing the best in jazz to local audiences and jazz musicians through both the festival and its summer education programs for youth and adults for nearly 40 years, and is funded in part by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Powerhouse Jazz String Faculty at 2011 Jazz Residency

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Where can adult string players go to get a summer jazz immersion experience? Stanford Jazz Workshop’s Jazz Residency! The violin, viola, and cello faculty for 2011 is an all-star lineup, including Jenny Scheinman, Dana Leong, and Victor Lin. All three are at the top of the jazz string world, and—not coincidentally—they all are alumni of the Stanford Jazz Camp.

In addition to releasing her own recordings, Jenny’s been playing with many artists, including Tony Scherr, Norah Jones, Bill Frisell, Lucinda Williams, Madeleine Peyroux, Marc Ribot, and many others. Dana’s been seen with Dafnis Prieto, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Wynton Marsalis, Yoko Ono, Kanye West, and Henry Threadgill, in addition to playing with his own group, Milk & Jade. Victor Lin has recently released a solo album entitledThe Hymnal, and he performs with Frank Vignola’s Hot Club USA and The Howard Fishman Quartet.

In addition to being world-class jazz artists, all three are highly experienced teachers, with many years of instruction under their belts.

Acoustic bassists are in for a treat at Jazz Residency, too: The faculty includes Larry Grenadier (FLY, Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny), Reid Anderson (The Bad Plus), Harish Raghavan, Josh Thurston-Milgrom, Tomoko Funaki, and Jon Wiitala.

Violin, viola, cello, and bass players of all levels are welcome at Jazz Residency. All players get placed in combos with musicians of a similar level of experience, and combos rehearse every day under the guidance of a faculty member. In master classes, the string faculty will demonstrate jazz string techniques and skills at all levels. Special Presentations cover topics from soloing and ensemble techniques to arranging and advanced jazz concepts. String players may choose their own level of jazz theory class, from beginner to highly advanced.

On Thursday evening, August 4, all combos perform for the public, family, and friends in fantastic performance venues on the Stanford campus.

For more information about Jazz Residency, click here.

Click on a name to learn more about individual faculty members at Jazz Residency: Jenny Scheinman, Dana Leong, Victor Lin, Larry Grenadier,Reid Anderson.

Jazz guitar superstars at SJW Jazz Residency

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SJW’s Jazz Residency (July 31 – August 5) is always a great place to come to improve your guitar chops, get a lot of playing time, and hang out and have fun with other jazz guitarists. This summer SJW has an excpetional guitar faculty lined up for Jazz Residency: genre-buster Bill Frisell, accompanist to the stars Anthony Wilson, and meteoric young trail-blazer and longtime SJW faculty member Julian Lage.

Bill Frisell is has long been the poster child for unbridled creative jazz. His mastery of the instrument is augmented by an affinity for adventurousness where tone and color are concerned. His unique voice is instantly recognizable, yet you never know what to expect when you hear him. Anthony Wilson is one of the most in-demand musicians of his generation. He has released eight critically-acclaimed solo albums since 1997. He has been a member of Diana Krall’s quartet since 2001, and played on her Grammy-winning Live in Paris recording. SJW favorite Julian Lage is currently touring with the New Gary Burton Quartet, and has recently released his debut album, Sounding Point.

At Jazz Residency, guitarists spend time daily shedding with their combos, improving their knowledge of theory, and, most importanly, learning from these incredible talents in guitar masterclasses, in special presentations, and in nightly live performances at the Stanford Jazz Festival. Click here to learn more about Jazz Residency.

Click on a name for more information on Bill Frisell, Anthony Wilson, andJulian Lage.

To sign up for Jazz Residency, click on the Register button above, or the one below.