2 New interviews on "The Half"

Good Sunday Evening to everyone,

I hope you have enjoyed your weekend. Just wanted to drop a line letting everyone know this week, the summer edition of "The Inner Circle" newsletter will be released to those who have subscribed to receive it from The Jazz Half. If you haven't subcribed, but interested in receiving this FREE newsletter, simply send an email to thejazzhalf@gmail.com . Make sure to include your full name and email address in the body of your message. This information is for the sole purpose of sending the free newsletter. The Jazz Half DOES NOT solicit email addresses to ANY OTHER organizations or groups.


While waiting for the newsletter, feel free to drop into "The Half" and listen to the 2 most recent exclusive interviews - one with the hip, dynamic Trumpter Wade Baker, and the other with a sensational musician & educator, Russel Blake - a magnificent bassist from Los Angeles.

Click here to listen to my chat with Wade Baker, and learn what he wanted to play before the Trumpet.






Click here for the Russel Blake interview, and learn how his musicianship runs in the family.

And stay tuned for The Inner Circle newsletter! Cheers!




- jh

LOVE this time of year!

Hey, its me again...

Just as the title of this post indicates, I love this time of year - Memorial Day Weekend! I love it for a number of reasons. First off, at my place of work, this is the first off-day holiday we'll have since New Year's Day - that's one helluva stretch! We don't get MLK or President's Day off. And keeping in the spirit of my annual tradition, I have taken the Friday off prior to the big weekend. And I must say this day off was used quite productively; as I have some BIG Jazz Half updates coming soon!

But as I was saying, I love this weekend for lots of reasons. As for the weather, we're out of the bitter cold and still have a short while before the miserable humidity. St. Ann's Festival is every Memorial Day weekend - Kicking off the Church festival season (I LOVE Church Festivals - BIG SIX! All bets down, no more bets!). The Taste of Cincinnati is held downtown this time of year as well. Hundreds of restaurants around the city set up booths showcasing some of their featured menu items in sample sizes. Beer booths in every direction you turn and of course, 6 stages featuring some great music ranging from R&B, to Rock, to Indie, Country, and Jazz.

Hey, speaking of Jazz, if you're downtown in the early evening of Saturday the 23rd, grab a couple cheese coneys or a gyro, a beer, and stroll over to the Blues & Jazz stage to catch the incomparable Wade Baker and his group. They will be performing from 6 to 8pm and everyone whose anyone will be there (including me, courtesy of my scooter. I'll be the one eating the pulled pork sandwich with barbecue sauce on my shirt). Hope to see you down there! Cheers, and have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend!

- jh

In Honour of Louie...

Hello Everyone,

I certainly hope everyone is enjoying the month. The jazz world recently lost a dear friend and Pioneer to the music. On February 14th of this year, legendary drummer Louie Bellson passed away at the age of 84.

Born in Rock Falls, Illinois in 1924, he's played the drums since the age of three. By the time he was 17, he beat out over 40,000 drummers to win the Gene Krupa Contest. Louie served in the U.S. Army Band and over the years played with Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Lionel Hampton, and countless others. He is well known for his work with Duke Ellington for which he wrote "Skin Deep".

Louie has been the leader of his Orchestra for over 40 years, and has given back to the music 1,000 times over by way of holding drum clinics at High Schools & Colleges. He has earned dozens of accolades, including the prestigious American Jazz Masters Award by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Musicians and Jazz Studies Students alike are more enriched by the efforts of Louie Bellson - whether directly or indirectly. The Jazz Community is profoundly grateful for Louie's music, creativity, teachings, and overall efforts.

For more information on Louie Bellson, please visit http://www.louiebellson.info/home.html

Cheers!

- jh

Catching up after a busy month...

Hello Everyone!

SOOO sorry I have been out of touch lately - TONS of different things going on. I totally missed the month of April, and I apologize. Starting this week, look forward to reading at least THREE posts a week - but they may be a bit shorter than some of the past posts.
Anywho, let's get caught up on things:

- April was Jazz Appreciation Month. A great month for catching live jazz music anywhere!

- On April 5th, Triage, featuring Eugene Goss was on hand at the Fairfield Community Arts Center. I was fortunate to attend the show; and posted a short review to share. I was also fortunate to chat with Eugene Goss & Billy Larkin. Click here to read the review, and click here to listen to the exclusive interview.

- April 24th marked the beginning of the 40th anniversary of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. What began as a spontaneous gathering between Mahalia Jackson, Duke Ellington, and the Eureka Brass Band on the Festival Grounds of Beauregard Square, turned into an ageless, iconic event - representing the appeal and cultural significance of New Orleans. Over the decades, the festival has even drawn artists of other genres, and this year was no exception with artists such as Erika Badu, Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, and more. Ellis & Wynton Marsalis, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Neville Brothers and more were there as well. The Festival consisted of awesome music, arts, crafts, and of course FOOD! For a full show schedule, pictures, and more, visit nojazzfest.com.

- The Jazz Half has a new look! That's right - visit The Jazz Half and peruse throughout the site. The changes are not only cosmetic, there's also a few new additions to the site (we'll see if you can find them!)

- The Spring edition of "The Inner Circle" Newsletter was recently released. If you haven't received one, its because you're not part of The Inner Circle! How to become a part of it? Simply send an email to thejazzhalf@gmail.com with your full name & email address. The Jazz Half NEVER solicits your email address to other groups or organizations.

- And finally, The Jazz Half is now on Facebook! If you have a facebook profile, join the Jazz Half Group as a fan - its yet another way of keeping up on Cincinnati Jazz, and Jazz in general! If you don't have a facebook profile, what better time (and reason) to sign up! Click here to become a fan of the Jazz Half.

WHEW, that was a lot of information! Keep dropping into this blog for more great stuff on Cincinnati Jazz and more. Cheers!

- jh