Siriusly Miles

Miles Davis is widely recognized as one of the most innovative and prolific figures in the 20th Century. Extending far beyond the reaches of the already unconventional genre of Jazz, he has boldly pioneered paths, deepening the true essence of the music. Over decades, his music has journeyed through bop, fusion, techno, and many others, all while maintaining the core jazz element. In the countless ensembles he's lead, he is credited for the early careers of many other Jazz icons including Herbie Hancock, Cannonball Adderley, Chick Corea, Jerry Mulligan, John Coltrane, and the list goes on. Ask any Jazz enthusiast and most likely they'll all have "Birth of the Cool", or "Kind of Blue" or "Bitches Brew" within their collection.

Learning the trumpet at 13 then playing professionally (while still attending school) at 16, Miles was equally talented on the flugelhorn, piano, and organ.

If you are one of the many who listen to satellite radio, these facts and more are shared on a 6-day exclusive called "Miles Davis Radio". This will be aired on SiriusXM Channel #72 (the original "Real Jazz" channel) from 3:00pm EST November 20th through November 25th. Hosted by Miles' son Erin Davis, his nephew, drummer Vince Wilburn Jr. and bassist Marcus Miller, hear music from his extensive catalog, along with interviews from former band members and some of the most accomplished and respected figures in the industry. There is a clip from Miles 1989 interview on 60 Minutes, and listen to the premiere of the never before heard recording of his soundtrack for the 1986 film Wise Guys.

Set your Sirius receiver dial to channel 72 and learn about the legend. Hear his music, and the many invaluable stories as told by his colleagues. For more information, visit sirius.com/realjazz . Cheers!

- jh

Jazz and mobile technology

Jazz Tenor great Sonny Rollins has an application for the iPhone that allows you to watch video performances, listen to his music, check his performance schedule, and even purchase tickets. Furthermore, with a simple tap of the ‘Buy’ button, you can purchase and download his music directly from the iTunes store.

Think about that: An American classic and original art form, converging with modern mobile technology. Even better, this mobile technology happens to be the most popular and widely used platform on the planet.

The brilliance of iPods, iPhones, and iTunes is how its embraced by people across generations. Obviously, the younger crowd is always up on the hippest, hottest things with clothes, music, and technology. But with the simplicity of how everything that is ‘i’ works, the element of intimidation is minimized, encouraging older demographics to invest in the easy-to-learn gadgetry.

Another thing to think about: The opportunity for broadening the audience of jazz enthusiasts WORLDWIDE. This really spikes the musician’s sales potential. There are over 35 million iPhone users in the world - how’s that for a customer base?

The point? While traditional methods of promoting music (especially jazz) is proven and still practiced, its high time we embrace and leverage technology to supplement, but not replace our current methods. This requires having an open mind to new things, and a little reading, but it does not require programming, or learning how to program; which is a good thing for us non-coders.

And while Sonny Rollins has opened his mind to technology (and significantly increased his already wide visibility), waving the jazz flag is not restricted to the musicians alone. Jazz enthusiasts have the same opportunity to spread the word. So what do you say? Are you ready to wave the flag?

Cheers!

The Free Sonny Rollins iPhone App can be downloaded at
http://www.tinyurl.com/sonnyrollinsapp

B.J. Jansen & Frank Stagnitta - CD Review

Baritone Saxophonist B.J. Jansen recently released “Syracuse Connection” in early November. In this 4th album, B.J. is back with Pianist Frank Stagnitta, offering original compositions on a total of 5 out of 7 tracks (B.J. with 4, and Frank with 1, respectively). Born and raised in Cincinnati, and now living in New York City, Jansen’s talents extend beyond Musician. He’s the founder of the Jazz Development Group, a non-profit organization that offers free clinics on Jazz education to school-age children. He’s the host of his own radio show, “The Jazz Life”, and a number of other noble endeavours.

"Syracuse Connection" comes highly recommended for any jazz enthusiast's collection. To continue reading the CD review, visit the Jazz Half's Examiner Article. For more information on B.J. Jansen, visit his website at http://www.bjjansen.com/. Enjoy!

- jh