THE JAZZ SOJA      

                                We’re Marchin’ in the Army of the Groove!

                                         Vol 3 Issue 2 May-June 2008

                           ________________________________________
                       A Newsletter of the Southeastern Organization for Jazz Arts

                                                          a 501C3 non-profit, Arts and Education Organization

                                     _{^{Do you Dream in Jazz?}} 

In this issue:

Noteworthy Regional Jazz News:

• THE TIPITINA'S FOUNDATION
• Musicians' Co-Op Now Open in Baton Rouge 

Noteworthy National Jazz News:

• "Jazz For Peace"

Jazz on the Mental Brainwaves

• African-American Entertainment in Atlanta
• America's Jazz Heritage 
• Jazz Books For Children
• Jazz CDs for Grades K-6
• Educational Jazz Kits for Children
• Websites with learning activities, lessons

         and information for young people and teachers 

 

SOJA's Travel Web Site

List of sites with Jazz Fest info
 

Where to go for local Jazz information?

 

Jazz on the local Radio Airwaves

 

---

Summer Jazz Events

---

 The Sunday "Jazz in the Home" Series for

  June 15th, 2008  5:00pm to 8:00pm.

The featured artist will be Takana Miyamoto and Friends
The address is 1533 Haven Crest Drive,
Powder Springs, GA 30127.

Event Donation will be $20.

Beverages and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Directions: Take I-20 W exit and turn right on
Exit 44 (GA-6, Thornton Rd, Austell)
Drive 9.4 miles and Bear onto Florence Rd SW;
street becomes Corner Rd SW
Turn onto Echo Mill Dr SW
Turn onto Haven Crest Dr SW

Parking along the street will be fine. There will be a sign directing attendees to go around the left side of the garage to the rear of the house and access the basement from a marked door.

RSVP’s can be done at posey.miller@comcast.net
or 770-439-3067.


 

See: First Sunday Jazz Series and Artist Spotlight pages

 

For reservations and guest list placement for the

First Sunday Jazz Series June 1st event

                                  or

if you would like to host a Jazz Soiree in your home

contact Mary Jo

(404) 378-6778  email: majos@mindspring.com





 

---

           Best Kept Local Secrets


---

 

          Our group, One Leg Up, plays Acoustic Swing and Gypsy Jazz

 

                                   in the spirit of Django Reinhardt.

For the Django fanatics, there is not a finer gypsy jazz band than One Leg Up.

(Hunter Pope Mountain Xpress, Jun 7, 2006) One Leg Up--John Stineman
(guitar & vocal), Jim Tanner (guitar), Daniel Coolik (mandolin, guitar, &
electric mandolin), Mike Guzalak (clarinet, tenor saxophone, & vocal), Cary Fridley

(bass & vocal), and teve Trismen (violin)--released their first album Gypsy Blue in 2004.

About their first record, Vintage Guitar Magazine wrote One Leg Up plays Gypsy
jazz with conviction... the solos come fast and furious from their two solo
guitarists, mandolinist, and clarinetist. That same year they accompanied
Spanish gypsy jazz guitarist Pere Soto while he toured the U.S. May, 2005, they
did a concert/book show with Michael Dregni author of the new acclaimed
biography Django: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend. Also, in that year,
their live version of Tico Tico was put on WNCW-FM's Crowd Around the Mic

Volume 9, a compilation of the best music recorded live on WNCW that year.

Their second record, Pere Lachaise, released on Bastille Day of 2006 found

One Leg Up playing in an energetic yet new direction. Though the album contains

elements from their first, such as a few Django Reinhardt compositions and some

jazz tunes for the Tin Pan Alley days,this new album welcomes the addition of

Cary Fridley on bass and vocals, some electric guitar and mandolin work, and

newly fashioned, fresh arrangements of lesser known standards.

One Leg Up works within the gypsy jazz instrumentation and framework while
bringing different styles of jazz, Latin, and original music into their
identity. They perform through out the Southeast U.S. at festivals, concerts,
clubs, dance events, and any place where the music lovers appreciate the
sensual energy of a tight jazz ensemble.

One Leg Up, from Asheville, NC, plays a mixture of gypsy jazz, Latin, swing,
modern jazz, and original compositions. Performing together since 2003, One Leg
Up became the house band at Cafe Soleli in Asheville. During their eighteen
month engagement at the Cafe, the group gathered an enthusiastic fan base of
music lovers, dancers and fellow musicians, and developed their tight, rhythmic
acoustic style of jazz that is ready for any concert hall, festival stage or
swing dance.

One Leg Up's originality also stems from the group being collective
stars. Like an astute big band, One Leg Up's musicians are equally luminescent.
At any moment, a violin, mandolin, or clarinet would take center stage, creating a
stir usually reserved for a newly arrived brew. Also, the twin guitars of John
Stineman and Jim Tanner revamped those bygone Django chords first strummed in
pre-WWII Parisian clubs. And they can sing. Bassist Cary Fridley's voice crisply
cut through the mental fog created by the fresh beer, and guitarist Stineman
delicately rendered the ode of patient love in Exactly Like You. My only
complaint was having to leave.

Hunter Pope, Mountain Xpress: Review of One Leg Up at the French Broad Brewery
Tasting Room, March 8, 2006, "One Leg Up is a ticket back in time to 1930s Paris

and the glory years of Django Reinhardt. Listening to their music, you can taste the

red wine, relish the glamour of the City of Lights, and feel the deep vibe of Gypsy jazz.

Vas-y! Vas-y!"

 

• Please view our website, www.onelegupjazz.com or our Myspace page,
• www.myspace.com/onelegup, and consider us as entertainment for your special events.

 Mark Dove is the host of "Sounds of Jazz"

Mark Dove, who recently became a member of SOJA’s advisory board, is the host of "Sounds of Jazz" which broadcasts from Gainesville, Ga on Brenau University’s Eclectic 89.1 WBCX "Straight Ahead Saturday Nights" from 6PM to midnight. He also is the host of "Café Jazz" which focuses on jazz vocalists and stylists. The "Café Jazz" airs Mondays from 6PM to 8PM.

Mark is a lifelong resident of the Hall County area and began his music fetish at a very early age.

He was exposed to the music of Ray Charles, Little Richard, Fats Domino through his parents and

 loved Vince Guaraldi’s Peanuts scores as a kid. His parents bought him a record player one

fateful Christmas morning and that set off a fascination with music and recordings that continue

to this day. His record collection has grown to around 5,000 to 7,000 titles – LPs and CDs –

about half being jazz.

Mark’s previous radio station experience has been stints at WMLB AM 1170 in Cumming and oldies Lake 102 in Buford. About 5 or 6 years ago he finally found an outlet for his jazz interests when WBCX station manager Scott Fugate took him on as the host of the "Sounds of Jazz" show on the "Straight Ahead Saturday Night" daypart and he’s been "in the airchair" on Saturday nights ever since. He’s since had the pleasure to talk not only to some of Atlanta’s finest jazz talent on his show but he’s interviewed the likes of Kurt Elling, Janis Siegel, Tierney Sutton, Charles Lloyd, Maria Schneider, Lynne Arriale, and Bill Charlap.

 Yes, jazz does exist on the airwaves outside of Atlanta so the next time you’re in Northeast Georgia on a Saturday night – listen to Northeast Georgia’s King of Swing as he "puts the jazz

back into jazz" on Eclectic 89.1. You won’t be sorry!

Mark Dove
"Sounds of Jazz"
"Cafe Jazz"
Eclectic 89.1 WBCX
http://www.brenau.edu/about/wbcx

 

---

The Etowah Jazz Society

---

The Etowah Jazz Society (EJS) was formed in April of 2002 as a not-for-profit organization by

a group of dedicated local area musicians who love to perform a wide variety of music, ranging from Big Band-era classics to jazz standards to Broadway and pop hits.

EJS is comprised of some 17 players from all walks of life who live in the local and surrounding communities.


 

Etowah: to associate the group with a regional icon. The Etowah River is a well-known local

landmark that slowly meanders through our lovely and historic community.

 

The Mission of The Etowah Jazz Society (EJS)

 

• To provide it's members an outlet to perform and improve their musical skills
• To provide performances of quality, enjoyable, and meaningful music
• To provide the community with musical experiences not provided by other organizations
• To encourage interest in music and other cultural activities
• To support the performing arts by participating in community events
• To represent our community as goodwill ambassadors

 

To contact and more information:

Jack Howell Phone: 770-382-5247

Email: jhowell48@yahoo.com

http://www.myspace.com/etowahjazzsociety
http://www.etowahjazz.com


 

---

The Story of Jazz Soirees

 



 

I began having monthly jazz house concerts three years ago often getting the grand piano of my dreams. It started with my friend Michael Royal, a wonderful jazz pianist from Sarasota, FL, coming up to “christen” my long awaited Pertof grand. It was a party to let friends and neighbors help me celebrate my dream coming true. After that night, a neighbor suggested I do it all the time because it was so enjoyable. I made a commitment to myself to have music each month that year and so began “Ms. Mary Jo’s Jazz Soirees”!!!

I started at first by having musicians I knew play and as time went on and word got around I began having different artists perform. Several

months after beginning a friend gave me an article out of the New York Times about the current trend for house concerts. This confirmed that

I was on the right track in providing a pleasant home environment for the music to be heard. I knew that I couldn’t afford to pay the musicians on a long term basis so I began having a “gratuity” for the people that attended to compensate for their talents.

I have loved providing a smoke – free, noise-free, intimate place where the music can be fully heard and appreciated. Children are welcomed  if they are old enough to sit quietly and attend to the music.

Presently I have from twenty five to thirty people attend in my cottage style home. But I have a vision of someday soon having a larger and  more open space to continue what I’m doing while maintaining the home-like atmosphere. It is my passion and commitment for music to be

heard and appreciated by all ages. I feel that music is vibrationally healing as well and encourage people to lie under the piano to be able to experience the sound in their body.

I look forward to see you soon -


 

Sincerely, 

Mary Jo Strickland

SOJA Advisory Board President

 

For reservations and guest list placement for the

First Sunday Jazz Series or

if you would like to host a Jazz Soiree in your home

contact Mary Jo

(404) 378-6778  email: majos@mindspring.com


 

"In Home Jazz Concerts" comes to Brooklyn

 

 Inspired by “Jazz Hostess of Harlem,” Marjorie Eliot who began her Parlor Entertainment Jazz Series in her home on Sundays in

1992, In The Moment Productions founders, Jim Morehand & Dave Polazzo have begun hosting semi-monthly jazz sessions in

the intimate comfort of their 1860's row house in Brooklyn's historic Ft. Greene district on February 23, 2002.

We are offering our home as a venue for jazz musicians to play, sing, jam and swing, surrounded by the contemporary works of art on display by NYC artists. There are so many talented, professional jazz musicians in this city who have played with the best in the field, but most people don’t know their names or style of playing. We are doing our part to change that.

Here, people will be entertained in an intimate home setting while surrounded by the artwork of current local artists (avail. for purchase). We offer a piano on site and refreshments between sets. Artist’s works will be displayed for a two-month period and are available for sale. The $10.00 donation at the door will go toward future Parlor Entertainment, In The Moment

jazz series, which, in part, pays the musicians and provides the refreshments. There will be two sets with an intermission to allow the guests to mingle and meet the musicians/artists. Our roster of interested and wonderfully gifted jazz musicians and artists continues to grow.



---

New in the Community


The Little Five Points Music Center

Phil Sims, Director and Faculty
1127 Colquitt Ave NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
email: Phil@L5PMusicCenter.com
Call: 404.614.0466

Our Mission and Values. At the Little 5 Points Music Center, we're serious about the power of music and we believe playing music makes life better. We're here because music is much more than a commodity to be packaged sold and consumed. Music is something you do and we believe anybody can do it. We also know that music is a vehicle for personal transformation.

 

We believe studying music should be fun but we understand and are committed to the rewards of discipline and progress through practice and performance. We believe creative acts provide an opportunity for learning new skills and contemplating beauty, both of which have a positive impact on the internal and external (or social) self.

 

We also believe making music is simultaneously a community activity and almost always requires collaboration with others—it’s obvious when a musician plays in a band, combo, or ensemble, but even a soloist needs an audience and plays material shaped by others on an instrument built by others. The collaboration music requires makes it an essentially good human activity.


---