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Fresh New Jazz from The Parkville Sessions

by Lisa Chase It doesn't get much better than this: live original jazz recorded at Hartford's Parkville Sounds with the city's emerging jazz masters.  Jackie McLean grads Tommy Lehman on trumpet, Greg Carlton on tenor sax,  guitarist Tony Davis, bassist Josh Uguccioni and Corey Garcia at the drums recorded Davis' "Caramel Eyes" and "Braeburn" for The Parkville Sessions. [...]

By |January 11th, 2018|Categories: Hartford Jazz Society|Comments Off on Fresh New Jazz from The Parkville Sessions

Jazz in the Morning at the Hartford Musical Club

by Lisa Chase As we anticipate balmy jazz-filled evenings in Bushnell Park, we’re always on the lookout for jazz venues to fill the intervening months. The Musical Club of Hartford is well known for its long history of supporting classical music performance, but jazz fans may be surprised to know the Musical Club’s members also [...]

By |January 8th, 2018|Categories: Hartford Jazz Society|Comments Off on Jazz in the Morning at the Hartford Musical Club

The Joy of Vinyl (records)

by Ken Laster During this year’s holiday season I decided to set up my turntable which had been purchased during my college years back in the 70s. Sometime after the advent of CDs in the 80s my records and turntable had been relegated to storage in my basement. On rare occasions I would peruse through [...]

By |December 30th, 2017|Categories: Album Reviews|Comments Off on The Joy of Vinyl (records)

Transcending Musical Boundaries with Broca’s Area

by Lisa Chase If Broca’s Area (http://www.brocasareamusic.com/) is any indication of the Jackie McLean Institute’s musical philosophy, then “no boundaries” defines the Hartt School’s jazz-trained musicians. On December 8th Broca’s Area, a project of four McLean Institute progeny, treated a Bridge Street Live (http://www.41bridgestreet.com/) audience to a funk-infused repertoire including original compositions and covers of [...]

By |December 20th, 2017|Categories: Concert Reviews|Comments Off on Transcending Musical Boundaries with Broca’s Area

Jazz on the Radio and Online

Sunday: WRCH 100.5 (Smooth Jazz: 8am - Noon) WGBH 89.7 (9pm - Midnight) Monday: WRTC 89.3 (Trinity College) (6am – 9am; 3pm – 4:30pm) WWUH 91.3 (University of Hartford) (9am – Noon; 7:05pm – 8:30pm) WPKN 89.5 (Bridgeport) (1pm – 4pm) WESU 88.1 (Wesleyan University) (5pm – 6pm) WWUH 91.3 (University of Hartford) (7:05pm – [...]

By |October 8th, 2017|Categories: Media|Comments Off on Jazz on the Radio and Online

A Brazilian-North American Love Affair at Old Lyme’s SideDoor

by Lisa Chase Jazz fans can take heart that Monday Night Jazz will return to Bushnell Park in a mere forty-five weeks. In the meantime, we’re all on the lookout for new jazz venues around Hartford and beyond. A relatively recent addition to the Connecticut jazz scene and a surprising – at least to this [...]

By |September 9th, 2017|Categories: Concert Reviews|Comments Off on A Brazilian-North American Love Affair at Old Lyme’s SideDoor

Musical Conceptualists Close Out Monday Night Jazz

by Lisa Chase The final evening of Monday Night Jazz’s six-week series showcased the genre’s almost limitless variety and its continuous reinvention. Saxophonist Allen Lowe and his quartet started off with a series of original compositions showcasing Aaron Johnson on clarinet, Louis Porter at the piano, Kevin Ray plucking the bass and drummer Ben Bilello. [...]

By |August 22nd, 2017|Categories: Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz|Comments Off on Musical Conceptualists Close Out Monday Night Jazz

Uniting the Sacred and the Secular at Monday Night Jazz

Asylum Hill Congregational church could not contain the joyful music of Monday Night Jazz in its rainy-day setting. For opening act Matt and Atla DeChamplain, the church was the ideal acoustic venue for Atla’s soaring vocals, set off by Matt DeChamplain at the piano, Matt Dwonszyk on bass, tenor saxophonist Jovan Alexandre and drummer Curtis [...]

By |August 12th, 2017|Categories: Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz|Comments Off on Uniting the Sacred and the Secular at Monday Night Jazz

Goddess Magic Lights Up Bushnell Park

by Lisa Chase A perfect summer evening sparkled with goddess energy as two jazz “mistresses” filled the air with their inimitable brand of jazz improvisation and interpretation. The Maxine Martin Quartet opened Monday Night Jazz with original compositions executed by Maxine Martin on tenor saxophone and clarinet, guitarist Jim Mercik, “Abu” Alvin Carter, Sr. on [...]

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