[Dixielandjazz] Billy Taylor and the Kennedy Center's swing festival

[Marek Boym]

. In the

> last five years of his life, he became a mentor to a teenage piano prodigy
> from Connecticut
> named Christian Sands, who will perform at Friday's concert.
> "He said he saw a little of me in him," said Sands, now 22 and a rising
> star in jazz.
>

The mention of Christian Sands - a name unknown to me - has sent me
searching for him.  The first link I found was to a Sands-Oscar Peterson
collaboration which I did not fined very exciting.  But one thing led to
another - A Peterson boogie woogie, a Peterson blues, and eventually - to
more Sands.
I must admit that, so far, I've found his trio no to my liking; however,
his solos are masterpieces!
Thank you, Bob!
A funny thing - an English friend of mine who, in addition to swing and
traditional jazz (not the West Coast tuba and banjo type) liked bebop and
beyond, did not like Billy Taylor; I, on the other hand, who like some -
not most - bebop, but certainly not beyond, have always liked him.  I still
find Billy Taylor's playing anchored in the tradition, with strong left
hand.  There were some benefits to it - my friend sent me a Turk Murphy LP
for which he had no use, and a Billy Taylor cassette he had received from
another friend.

Cheers







> "A lot of times, we would just hang out, and I would listen to stories he
> would tell
> and listen to him talk about the world."
> Sands learned many of Taylor's tunes and absorbed musical lessons --
> including the
> use of richly voiced harmonies in a pianist's left hand.
> "Modern pianists use the left hand almost like an anchor," Sands said.
> "Dr. Taylor
> was a master at playing thick harmonies and thick chords."
> They also spoke of travel and painting and of Taylor's apprenticeship with
> Tatum
> and his friendships with the great figures of jazz.
> Sands acknowledges other influences on his musical life, from Cecil Taylor
> to Richard
> Wagner, but he also recognizes that he has been handed a special legacy to
> preserve
> the memory and music of Billy Taylor.
> "He's helped me develop my sound and influenced me as a person," Sands
> said. "He
> really touched me. I will never let his name die."
> ________________________
> A Jazztravaganza
> "Swing, Swing, Swing" at the Kennedy Center will be a 16-day extravaganza
> of jazz,
> pop, Western swing and even violin hip-hop, Friday through Nov. 26. Here's
> a glance
> at the offerings.
> Friday, Nov. 11: Introduction of the KC Dance Hall, a dance floor
> installed at the
> north end of the Grand Foyer, where visitors can dance to live music
> through Nov.
> 25. Free. "Jazz on the Elevens," a tribute to the late jazz great Billy
> Taylor featuring
> pianists Toshiko Akiyoshi and Danilo Perez, former Taylor Trio members and
> jazz vocal
> group Afro Blue from Howard University. 8 p.m. $35-$50. Dance Hall
> performance by
> the Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra. 6 p.m. (5 p.m. dance lesson). Free.
> Saturday, Nov. 12: Dance Hall performance by Smooth and EZ with DJ V
> Smooth. 6 p.m.
> (5 p.m. dance lesson). Free.
> Sunday, Nov. 13: Dance Hall performance by Gypsy swing violinist Tony
> Ballog. 6 p.m.
> Free.
> Monday, Nov. 14: Dance Hall performance by the U.S. Army Blues jazz
> ensemble. 6 p.m.
> Free.
> Tuesday, Nov. 15: Dance Hall performance of Dixieland swing by the
> Firecracker Jazz
> Band. 6 p.m. Free.
> Wednesday, Nov. 16: Dance Hall performance of avant-garde swing-era jazz
> by the Ghost
> Train Orchestra. 6 p.m. Free.
> Thursday, Nov. 17: Dance Hall performance of Western swing by Asleep at
> the Wheel.
> 6 and 9 p.m. (5 and 8:30 p.m. dance classes). Free.
> Friday, Nov. 18: Dance Hall performance by the Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra.
> 6 and
> 10 p.m. (5 and 9:30 p.m. dance classes). Free.
> Saturday, Nov. 19: Jazz singing group Manhattan Transfer conducts a master
> class
> for two college jazz vocal groups. 1 p.m. $12. Dance Hall performance by
> the University
> of North Texas Jazz Singers. 6 p.m. Free.
> Sunday, Nov. 20: Manhattan Transfer performs with 90-year-old jazz master
> Jon Hendricks
> and the jazz vocal group Afro Blue, from Howard University. 7 p.m.
> $20-$65. Dance
> Hall performance by jazz vocal group Afro Blue and the Howard University
> Jazz Ensemble.
> 6 p.m. Free.
> Monday, Nov. 21: Dance Hall performance of Cuban-style salsa by the band
> Timba Street.
> 6 p.m. (5 p.m. dance class). Free.
> Tuesday, Nov. 22: Dance Hall performance of Cajun swing by the Red Stick
> Ramblers.
> 6 p.m. (5 p.m. dance class). Free.
> Wednesday, Nov. 23: Dance Hall performance by Israeli hip-hop violinist
> Miri Ben-Ari.
> 6 p.m. Free.
> Thursday, Nov. 24: Thanksgiving swing dance party with Daryl Davis. 6 and
> 9 p.m.
> (5 and 8:30 p.m. dance classes) Free.
> Friday, Nov. 25: Tribute to Nat King Cole featuring guitarist and vocalist
> George
> Benson and the NSO Pops. 1:30 and 8 p.m. $20-$85. Dance Hall performance
> by vocalist
> Nellie McKay and the Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra. 6 and 10 p.m. 5 and 9:30
> p.m. dance
> classes) Free.
> Saturday, Nov. 26: Tribute to Nat King Cole featuring guitarist and
> vocalist George
> Benson and the NSO Pops. 8 p.m. $20-$85.
>
>
> --Bob Ringwald
> www.ringwald.com
> Fulton Street Jazz Band
> 530/ 642-9551 Office
> 916/ 806-9551 Cell
> Amateur (Ham) Radio K6YBV
>
> "All the problems we face in the United States today can be traced to an
> unenlightened
> immigration policy on the part of the American Indian."  Pat Paulsen
>
>
>
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