A fun-filled night for all took place last weekend at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, Virginia, where multi-instrumentalists Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer lit up the crowd with an intro ukulele lesson, followed by captivating performances on their ukelele’s, Cathy’s guitar, spoons, a baritone banjo and a washboard filled with an assortment of sound makers.
Bryan Dunn does not have a typical musician’s background. After spending time in the U.S. and U.K. as a kid, Dunn ended up in the vibrant musical mecca of Austin, Texas while working on his PhD in Physics at the University of Texas Austin. Though there are some musicians that make the transition from music to physics, such as Queen’s Brian May, few come to music from the realm of the sciences and have had the success that Dunn has experienced in recent years. Having already released one well-accepted album, and sharing the stage with the likes of Ben Folds, The Killers and Lady Gaga, Dunn is ready to release his next full-length record, Sweetheart of the Music Hall, which will be launched on April 3rd, 2012 worldwide.
Point in Time is the exciting and engaging debut recording of Puerto Rico based guitarist Gabriel Vicéns. While most players his age are either still in school or cutting their teeth in jam sessions and the woodshed, Vicéns has already completed a degree in Jazz Performance from the Puerto Rican Conservatory, where he studied with some of the biggest names in the genre, including Jon Faddis, Miguel Zenón and Kenny
It was during my junior high school year that my mother gave me my first Wes Montgomery album. She didn’t know who Wes was, but she was able to redeem some S&H Green Stamps from the grocery store to get it for me. It had his picture on the front with a guitar, so she thought I’d be interested. The album was So Much Guitar, and being a Chet Atkins fan at the time, it seemed very strange to me musically. A couple of years later a best friend, drummer Steve Campbell, called me to join him at a local music store. He was excited for me to hear a recording that featured Wes playing “Caravan.” From that day forward, my musical direction shifted; I ran home to pull out my one album of Wes and give it another try.
For the release of their debut, full length album Omerta, Adrenaline Mob held a party at Hiro Ballroom on March 12th in the best city in the world New York! Family, friends, VIPs and diehard fans crammed the small venue for a live preview of Omerta in an intimate setting.
Duke Robillard has been a prominent figure in the American music scene since the 1960s. He has been nominated multiple times for Grammy awards and is truly a chameleon when it comes to his capabilities in many styles and myriad of musical interests. From traditional blues to mainstream jazz and swing, Robillard has solid footing and an authentic approach, which makes him a pleasure to hear. This new recording, entitled Wobble Walkin’ encompasses both bluesy jazz guitar and the music of Tin Pan Alley.
Over the last few years, The Experience Hendrix Tour has quickly become one of the most anticipated concert events of the year, for both guitarists and Hendrix fans alike.
D.C. photographer, Craig Hunter Ross, grabbed some shots of the recent Experience Hendrix 2012 tour when it landed at The Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland. Enjoy Craig’s great photos of some of the top musicians in the world who jammed on some classic tracks of the legendary Jimi Hendrix on that very special evening.
Along with Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto and a handful of other young composers, Oscar Castro-Neves emerged in the early 1960s as one of the founding figures of the musical movement that became known worldwide as Bossa Nova. In 1962, a year before “The Girl From Ipanema” became a Top 10 hit, he helped lead the bossa nova invasion of the U.S., playing a central role as a performer and accompanist for other noted Brazilian musicians at the historic presentation of Brazil’s new music at Carnegie Hall. Since then, his distinguished career has included performances with Stan Getz, Sergio Mendez, Yo Yo Ma, and even Michael Jackson and Barbara Streisand.
Canadian guitarist and composer Alex Goodman has released three CDs as a leader. He completed his Bachelor of Jazz Performance degree at the University of Toronto, where he was honored as the first jazz musician to receive the William and Phyllis Waters graduating Award. The award goes to the student deemed to have the greatest potential to make an important contribution to the field of music.
