BWW Review: With THE GREAT JAZZ STANDARDS, Michael Feinstein Opens This Year's Jazz at Lincoln Center's 'Jazz and Popular Song Series' With Appealing Vitality
I hear music, mighty fine music . . . Host Michael Feinstein sings with pristine bass accompaniment, as Musical Director Tedd Firth's Big Band filters in musician by musician. The sweetest sounds I ever heard . . . he continues as a light saxophone joins syncopated rhythm. Then whomp! All 17 players swing. Rarely have I heard sound design so perfectly balanced, appropriately favoring vocals. Feinstein remains smooth and easy riding the wave. 'You may wonder about the role of jazz in popular song . . . ' our host begins at the start of Jazz at Lincoln Center's first of three segments of the Jazz & Popular Song Series in the Appel Room. At a time when popular songs came and went with alacrity, jazz artists meeting for improvisational jam sessions needed pieces they all knew. Thus jazz mined popular music creating an intersection of the two art forms. Aided and abetted by four very different featured guests, Feinstein illuminates by example, not narrative.
Nick Ziobro to Debut New CD at Birdland, 5/22
Nick Ziobro, the 17 year-old pop/jazz vocal sensation, will release his debut album A Lot of Livin' to Do on Tuesday, May 20. The new disc, produced by Michael Feinstein - the two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated vocalist, pianist and musicologist - and available through Titanium Entertainment, will be available in stores and digital outlets such as iTunes and Amazon.com. The album's debut single 'This Guy's In Love with You' is now available on iTunes.
Baldwin, Gaines et al. Join Rivera, Prince at Jerry Bock Celebration, 1/24
As BroadwayWorld has previously reported, the life of legendary Broadway composer Jerry Bock will be celebrated Monday January 24th at Roundabout's American Airlines Theater (227 West 42nd Street) at 2:30pm. The celebration is open to the public, on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 2pm.
The latest list of performers scheduled to appear are Kate Baldwin, Brigid Brady, Susan Cella, Barbara Cook, Harvey Fierstein, Boyd Gaines, Roundabout's Todd Haimes, Bock's longtime collaborator Sheldon Harnick, Hal Linden (and his original Rothschilds' 'sons:' David Garfield, Alan Gruet, Paul Hecht, Tim Jerome and Chris Sarandon), Joe Masteroff, Howard McGillin, Brad Oscar, producer Stuart Ostrow, Austin Pendleton, Lonny Price, Harold Prince, Chita Rivera, Bock's longtime friend and attorney Richard M. Ticktin, Rachel Ulanet, Tony Walton, Sherman Yellen and Bock's daughter Portia, among others. Michael Montel will stage the event.
Photo Coverage: BWW Remembers Jerry Bock
BroadwayWorld.com has learned that FIDDLER ON THE ROOF composer Jerry Bock passed away last night, at the age of 81. This comes just one week after the passing of FIDDLER bookwriter Joseph Stein.
FIDDLER Composer Jerry Bock Dies at 81
BroadwayWorld.com has learned that FIDDLER ON THE ROOF composer Jerry Bock passed away last night, at the age of 81. This comes just one week after the passing of FIDDLER bookwriter Joseph Stein.