[Dixielandjazz] Coverage in national jazz magazines-- Lew Shaw

[Norman Vickers]

To: DJML:  Musicians and Jazzfans lists

From:  Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

This column, courtesy of Lew Shaw, jazz writer for American Rag, will appear
in an upcoming issue of AR.

Here's an advance look.  Hope you will find this of interest.

 

See American Rag website for subscription and other information.

 

Thanks, Lew.

 

Norman

 

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Three familiar names recently showed up on the pages of national jazz
magazines. Josh Duffee and the 40th Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Festival got a
full-page plug in Downbeat, calling the Festival "the only one branded and
dedicated to the music and spirit of one musician" and noting the 80th
anniversary of the legendary cornetist's passing in 1931 at the age of 28.
The 31-year-old Duffee has taken over as Festival musical director for the
late Rich Johnson. 

Josh mentioned being part of the Bix Youth Band in 1998 and hearing the New
Wolverine band is what turned him on to becoming a full-time musician and
playing the music of the 1920s. He recently toured Australia with Andy
Schumm for a month, and the two will be in England in November for Mike
Durham's Classic Jazz Party. Josh and his orchestra will be at the Detroit
International Jazz Festival in September, which he says will be "the first
time the music of Jean Goldkette and McKinney's Cotton Pickers will be back
in the town where it all blossomed."

*     *     *     *     *

Janet Carroll's newest CD, Lady Be Good got a highly favorable review from
JazzTimes. "There's a plush sophistication in Carroll's sound," reviewer
Christopher Loudon wrote, "but just below her porcelain surface is a layer
of saucy playfulness. In other words, she is the contemporary equivalent of
the great Lee Wiley."

Janet hasn't slowed down one bit. She did a feature film entitled "Christmas
Story" which should be released during the 2011 holiday season. She's done a
TV pilot and play reading, can be seen in "Law & Order" reruns, may do some
summer theater and stays active with the Canterbury Choral Society.

She toured the Musical Instrument Museum on a recent visit to Phoenix,
calling it "an incredible facility that stirred my soul and reminded me why
music is such an important part of my life."

*     *     *     *     *

JAZZed Magazine devoted eight pages in its March issue to the Stan Kenton
Alumni Band led by trumpeter Mike Vax. 2011 is the 100th anniversary of
Kenton's birthday, the 70th anniversary of his orchestra, and the 20th
anniversary of the Kenton Alumni Band. According to Vax, "Stan actually put
in his will that he didn't want a ghost band traveling around playing the
hits of the 40s. We ended up with a band of alumni that could play all those
familiar numbers, but would also play more contemporary tunes and original
compositions in the Kenton style. Stan was really the father of jazz
education and believed in having the band play in schools and do clinics, so
a majority of our jobs are in educational institutions."