WORLDWIDE DEBUT PERFORMANCE ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, IN ZANKEL HALL

Ambrose Akinmusire

Jazz trumpeter and Blue Note recording artist Ambrose Akinmusire leads his big band for the ensemble’s worldwide debut performance on Saturday, December 3, at 10:00 p.m. in Zankel Hall. The trumpeter, whose talents have been increasingly recognized since 2007 when he won both the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition and the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition, was signed to the Blue Note recording label in 2010 and was most recently named by The Los Angeles Times as one of their “2011 Faces to Watch.” Akinmusire’s big band features a host of modern jazz’s most notable rising star performers, including: saxophonists Marcus Strickland, Walter Smith, Myron Walden, Tia Fuller, and Dayna Stephens; Sean Jones and Jason Palmer joining Akinmusire in the trumpet section; trombonists Josh Roseman and Cory King; pianist, Sullivan Fortener; bassist, Harish Ragahvan; and drummer Justin Brown with arrangements by Sherisse Rogers. This concert is presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with The Joyce and George Wein Foundation in memory of Joyce Wein.

Ambrose Akinmusire’s first album for Blue Note records, When the Heart Emerges Glistening was released in April 2011. Explaining the album’s title he notes, “…[the title] refers to being present, emotionally invested, honest-not exclusively in our art, but in every act of expression…[t]he many sides of the album itself are a testament to our complexity and uniqueness as individuals, and the imperative to bare and explore honestly every coexisting side of us.” Co-produced by Akinmusire and his mentor, pianist Jason Moran, the album features the 28-year-old trumpeter’s young quintet whom the The New York Times deems”destined for much wider recognition, ” performing mostly original compositions (written by Akinmusire) that juxtapose bombastic tunes and searing solos alongside selections that display elegance and sensitivity.

To view a clip of the Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet performing at New York’s Jazz Standard, please click here.

Prior to Akinmusire’s performance, starting at 9:00 p.m., ticketholders are invited to enjoy Late Nights at Zankel, a laid-back pre-concert experience in the Zankel Hall lounge, and meet others who share their passion for music. The first 200 concert-goers to arrive will receive a complimentary drink courtesy of Carnegie Hall. For more information, please visit carnegiehall.org/latenights.

About The Artist

The discovery of trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire (pronounced ah-kin-MOO-sir-ee) was a slow and steady process. Born and raised in Oakland, California, it was as a member of the Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble that Akinmusire first caught the attention renowned saxophonist Steve Coleman who was leading a workshop at the school, and immediately recognized the young trumpeter’s promise. Coleman eventually hired Akinmusire as a member of his Five Elements band, and invited him to embark on an extensive European tour when he was just 19. As a student at the Manhattan School of Music, the trumpeter was determined to discover his own voice. After pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Southern California, he went on to attend the famed Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles after which he entered and won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition from a panel of judges that included Terence Blanchard, Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Clark Terry and Roy Hargrove. That same year he also won the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition and released his debut recording Prelude…To Cora (Fresh Sound/New Talent).

Upon moving back to New York City, Akinmusire began performing with Vijay Iyer, Aaron Parks, Esperanza Spalding, and Jason Moran-also taking part in Moran’s innovative multimedia concert event In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall, 1957. It was also during this time that he first caught the attention of Bruce Lundvall, President of Blue Note Records, who says, “[Ambrose] is finding a very distinctive voice on his instrument, has a fantastic sense of adventure, and is dedicated to pushing the music forward.” Lundvall signed Akinmusire, and in September 2010 the trumpeter brought his quintet into Brooklyn Studios to record When the Heart Emerges Glistening, his first album on the Blue Note label which debuted to critical acclaim earlier this year.

Program Information
Saturday, December 3 at 10:00 p.m.
Zankel Hall
AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE BIG BAND

·· Ambrose Akinmusire, Trumpet
·· Sean Jones, Trumpet
·· Jason Palmer, Trumpet
·· Josh Roseman, Trombone
·· Corey King, Trombone
·· Walter Smith III, Tenor Saxophone
·· Marcus Strickland, Tenor Saxophone
·· Tia Fuller, Alto Saxophone
·· Dayna Stephens, Alto Saxophone
·· Myron Walden, Alto Saxophone
·· Sullivan Fortner, Piano
·· Harish Raghavan, Bass
·· Justin Brown, Drums

Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with The Joyce and George Wein Foundation in memory of Joyce Wein.

Bank of America is the Proud Season Sponsor of Carnegie Hall.

Ticket Information

Tickets, $39 and $50, are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office, 154 West 57th Street, or can be charged to major credit cards by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 or by visiting the Carnegie Hall website, carnegiehall.org.

For more information discount ticket programs, including those for students, Notables members, and Bank of America customers, visit carnegiehall.org/discounts

$50.00 Tickets Available at Convention & Visitors Bureau
December 1 – January 1

NEWPORT, RI, November 30, 2011 – If you’re looking for the perfect holiday surprise or a special treat for yourself, give the gift of jazz and present family and friends with tickets to the 2012 Newport Jazz Festival®. George Wein, Chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation™ and Producer of the Newport Jazz Festival, is once again offering special holiday discount tickets priced at just $50.00 for the holiday season. The $50.00 tickets (regularly $69.00) can be used for General Admission on either Saturday or Sunday of the festival, so there is no need to decide now which day to attend. These tickets are available December 1 – January 1 and must be purchased in person at the Newport and Bristol County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), 23 America’s Cup Avenue in Newport.  Children’s tickets also are available for $15 for ages 3 – 15 (under 3, free).

The 2012 Newport Jazz Festival® is set for August 3 – 5.

“We’re pleased to give area residents the opportunity to share the joy of jazz with family and friends at this special price during the holiday season,” said Wein. “We first made the $50.00 tickets available in 2010, and since then several thousand people have taken advantage of the discount.”

This offer is not available on-line or by telephone. The discount is good for General Admission tickets only for concerts at Fort Adams State Park on Saturday and Sunday.

Visit www.gonewport.com for CVB office hours and information.

Artists will be announced and all tickets will go on sale at a later date.  For more information, log on to www.newportjazzfest.net and www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org .

#  #  #

April 12, 1916 – November 20, 2011

NEW YORK, November 21, 2011 – Russell Garcia, the composer, conductor and arranger renowned for his stellar collaborations with Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Anita O’Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Frances Faye, Mel Tormé, Frank Sinatra and numerous others as well as film scores for George Pal’s “The Time Machine” and “Atlantis: The Lost Continent” and his orchestrations for Charlie Chaplin’s “Limelight,” died Sunday, November 20, 2011. He passed away peacefully at his home in Kerikeri, New Zealand, with Gina Mauriello Garcia, his lyricist and wife of 59 years, by his side. He was 95.

In April, Mr. Garcia performed three 95^th birthday concerts throughout New Zealand with New York vocalists Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco and New Zealand singer Tim Beveridge.

Mr. Garcia, who was fondly known as “Uncle Russell” by his much-younger musical collaborators around the world,  was scheduled to continue his 95^th birthday celebration during a three-city U. S. tour at jazz clubs in Los Angeles (Catalina’s), Oakland (Yoshi’s) and New York City (Iridium), but he suffered collapsed vertebrae the week before he was set to travel. Instead, the Los Angeles concert was cancelled and his tour partners, Ms. Rainbolt and Ms. Genecco, paid tribute to Mr. Garcia and his music at Yoshi’s on November 1 and at Iridium on November 6.  The Garcias enjoyed the Oakland concert via Skype while the New York celebration was streamed live, with Mr. Garcia and his wife commenting on the music and musicianship throughout both evenings. “It’s hard to believe that we’re sitting here in New Zealand on Monday afternoon taking part in a live concert in New York on Sunday evening,” Mr. Garcia said about the technology of live stream.

Russell Garcia was born April 12, 1916, in Oakland, CA.  Throughout his career, he provided arrangements for many singers and instrumentalists and recorded more than 60 albums under his own name. In addition, his book, The Professional Arranger-Composer, has been a valued tool for both beginners and veterans since it was written in the mid-’40’s. When describing the orchestral sounds that emerged from the West Coast jazz scene during the 1950’s, the name Russell Garcia always comes to mind.  In 2007, Mr. Garcia entrusted Ms. Rainbolt to record the first-ever album of all Garcia originals entitled Charmed Life.  Arranged by Mr. Garcia for his signature four-trombone band, this collaboration included a U.S. tour and garnered two MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Awards for Best Jazz Recording (Charmed Life) and Best Song (I Remember, Music by Garcia and Lyrics by Rainbolt & Garcia.)  A top seller on CDBaby, the album also was chosen by TalkinBroadway.com as one of their Top 10 CDs of 2008.

In 2009, Mr. and Mrs. Garcia were awarded The New Zealand Order of Merit from the Queen of England for their Service to Music.  They have been residents of Kerikeri, New Zealand since 1971, but continued to work and make music around the world.

In an article for The New York City Jazz Record (November 2011), Andy Velez wrote:  Asked what he wants people to know about him, Garcia smiles at Gina, his wife of 59 years. A World War II veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, Garcia vowed if he ever got out of it alive, he was going to search for answers because “this is absolute insanity, people shooting at strangers.” It was that search which led him and Gina to the Baha’i faith and then ultimately to living in New Zealand since 1971. “…Every action, every motive has got to be a buildup for a better, beautiful, happy, peaceful world for all mankind. We see mankind as one. So any goal that is not to help everybody is not a good goal.”

In addition to his wife Gina, whom he married 60 years ago on December 24; Mr. Garcia is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Judy and Henry Kulp of California; four grandchildren, Kristy Corwin-Dupont, Sean Lurie and Melody Kulp-Reinstein of California and Donny Kulp of Hawaii; and seven great grandchildren, Curtis Corwin, Capri Corwin, Kaden Lurie, Collis Lurie, James Reinstein, Lila Reinstein and Ginger Mancia-Kulp, all of California. Mr. Garcia was preceded in death by his son, David Garcia, in 2007.

*  *  *

For an interview with Russell Garcia during the Charmed Life recording, click on the link: http://youtu.be/ZW_oILbInUc. For more information, read an in-depth interview with Russell and journalist Marc Meyers on JazzWax at http://www.jazzwax.com/2008/09/interview-russ.html.

#  #  #

Percussionist Dafnis Prieto Commissioned to Write New Composition to Debut at
2012 Newport Jazz Festival®

NEWPORT, RI, November 16, 2011 – The Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™ has been awarded a 29-month Arts Program grant in the amount of $50,000 from Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) to support presentations by DDCF grantees at the Newport Jazz Festival® during 2011-2013. Percussionist Dafnis Prieto has been commissioned to compose a new piece for his sextet to debut at the 2012 Festival, which is set for August 3 – 5.

“We are grateful to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for its support of the Newport Jazz Festival,” said George Wein, Producer of the Festival since its inception in 1954 and Chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation. “I had the privilege to meet Ms. Duke, who attended the Newport Jazz Festival from its beginning right up to the early 90’s. She was not only a dedicated patron of the arts, but also a jazz pianist and composer. She never wanted to be recognized for attending the festival; she simply wanted to sit peacefully in her seat and enjoy the music she loved. We are pleased that through the support from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, we are able to present the music of Dafnis Prieto and others in Newport, where some of the finest moments in jazz history have occurred.”

“We’re pleased to support not only a festival that Doris Duke loved to attend, but a fantastic platform for the presentation of contemporary jazz,” said Ed Henry, president of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “This grant is as much about encouraging the future vitality of the jazz field as it is about celebrating its rich history.”

The DDCF grant supported new music projects by internationally-renowned composer/percussionist/bandleader John Hollenbeck and MacArthur Foundation recipient/saxophonist Miguel Zenón at the 2011 Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management. Hollenbeck, who introduced “Songs That Like Me” featuring the John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble with special guests Kate McGarry (voice), Theo Bleckmann (voice) and Uri Caine (piano/organ), showcased his original work as well as his own arrangements of songs by Imogen Heap, Jimmy Webb, Ornette Coleman and Kraftwerk. Zenón presented “Alma Adentro,” a collection of Puerto Rican songs featuring his arrangements with orchestrations by Argentinean pianist/composer/arranger Guillermo Klein, performed by the saxophonist’s regular quartet along with a 10-piece wind ensemble.

“The 2011 and 2012 projects embody the spirit of the Newport Festivals Foundation and its commitment to developing the genre of jazz while retaining its fundamental nature,” said Wein.

The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and the prevention of child abuse, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties.

*  *  *

The Newport Jazz Festival® is a production of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, under license from Festival Productions, Inc. and George Wein; all rights reserved.

#  #  #

The Andover Shop Outlet Dresses Up Spring Street
With Classic Menswear and Accessories

NEWPORT, November 8, 2011 – If you’re feeling the need for tweed and other exquisite menswear, now is the perfect season and perfect reason to visit The Andover Shop Outlet, newly located at 99 Spring Street in Newport.  Open from 10:30 am – 6:00 pm daily, the shop features classic menswear made for the renowned Massachusetts stores, including a selection of tweed sportscoats, wool and blended sweaters, wool trousers, Oxford cloth shirts, hosiery, silk ties and more – all starting at 50% discounts.

The Andover Shop Outlet is operated by Casey Davidson Farley and her husband Larry, the daughter and son-in-law of Charlie Davidson, owner of the popular stores in Andover and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

“My father opened his first Andover Shop in 1948 and has been in the business of making men look good in their suits ever since,” said Davidson-Farley. “Watching Don Draper on Mad Men for me is like seeing fine tailoring come alive. While the Fedora hat may be a thing of the past, a soft shoulder suit with a silk tie or a tweed sportscoat and cashmere sweater still provide men with understated panache. This collection proves what Mark Twain noted: ‘Clothes make the man.’”

The Andover Shop Outlet will be open through the 2011 holiday season. For more information on the store and clothing line, call (401) 378-8359 or visit www.theandovershop.com .

#  #  #

LIVING LEGEND RUSSELL GARCIA
TO BE HONORED AT 95th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

Due to Doctor’s Order, Garcia Will Celebrate in New Zealand
While Shaynee Rainbolt, Terese Genecco and Billy Stritch
Host Tribute at Iridium Jazz Club in New York on November 6, 6:30 pm

Concert Will Be Streamed Live from Iridium at http://www.iridiumlive.tv

NEW YORK, NY, November 3, 2011 – Legendary composer, arranger and conductor Russell Garcia has been ordered by his doctor to give up his travel plans to participate in his U.S. 95^th Birthday Tour, but that isn’t stopping him from joining in the party.  Garcia will celebrate from his home in New Zealand while Shaynee Rainbolt, Terese Genecco and Billy Stritch host a tribute at New York’s Iridium Jazz Club on Sunday, November 6, at 6:30 pm.

The concert will be streamed live, allowing Garcia to not only watch the concert, but also to participate. Tune in to http://www.iridiumlive.tv

Garcia, who suffered from collapsed vertebrae two weeks ago, is on bed rest and unable to travel. Since stricken with the painful condition, Garcia has been on the phone and e-mail to assist his musical partners with arrangements and to encourage his friends, family and fans to come out to celebrate in his absence.

“We are all so sad that Russ can’t join us in person, but we are thrilled that we are able to celebrate his birthday and present his music with fabulous musicians At Iridium as well ast Yoshi’s in Oakland,” said Shaynee Rainbolt, who released Charmed Life, a CD of Garcia originals in 2007. “I have been in awe of Russ and his talent since meeting him while working on the CD. To hear Russ in the midst of severe pain encourage Terese and me to move forward with the concerts is a testament to his dedication to music and music lovers. Russ wouldn’t have it any other way, so we will do our best to present memorable evenings of his music, surrounded by friends, family and fans who love him.”

Rainbolt and the Iridium’s own Genecco will perform Garcia originals plus classics from The Great American Songbook arranged by Garcia and accompanied by their high-voltage, 9-piece Little Big Band featuring pianist Billy Stritch along with bassist Tom Hubbard, drummer Ray Marchica, trumpeter Bud Burridge, tenor saxophonist Cliff Lyons and trombonists John Fedchock, John Allred, Nate Mayland and George Flynn.

“In addition to celebrating the genius of Russ Garcia, performing his music is very special for many reasons,” said Terese Genecco. “In 1956, Russ did orchestrations of Porgy and Bess for Mel Tormé and Frances Faye. Later, Russ orchestrated a ground-breaking version of new arrangements of the music for Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. I am a huge Faye fan, Billy Stritch is a fan of Tormé and everyone loves Louis and Ella. In our tribute to Russ, Billy and I will present our rendition of Bess, You Is My Woman Now. I truly wish Russ could be with us to guide us through one of his most memorable musical contributions.  Thanks to technology, he will be with us in spirit and via Internet.”

“It is fitting and fantastic that Russ can ‘conduct’ the band while recuperating in New Zealand,” added Rainbolt. “He has always been on the cutting edge in the entertainment industry, with his film scores and the outstanding music he has composed and arranged for some of the world’s greatest artists. He has seen tremendous changes throughout his 75-year career, and he is excited that with the support of today’s technology, he will be able to enjoy and participate in the concert.”

Whether Russ Garcia (born April 12, 1916 in Oakland, CA) was working on a sound stage at MGM Universal, a major-label recording studio in Hollywood, a concert hall conducting a symphony, a jazz club or festival around the world, his body of work speaks for itself.  He hesitates to toot his own horn, saying he feels like he’s name-dropping; but to this day, people continue to drop his name.  Over the years, he has worked Sammy Davis, Jr., Anita O’Day, Bud Shank, Julie London, Sarah Vaughan, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, Count Basie, Miles Davis, Johnny Hodges, Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, Harry James, Bill Holman, Jayne Mansfield, Bette Davis, Ira and George Gershwin, Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, Mickey Rooney, Henry Mancini, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin, Marvin Hamlisch, Clint Eastwood and numerous others.

Now living a relatively quiet life in New Zealand but still continuing to work at home and abroad, at 95, Garcia’s life is far from the glamorous world of Hollywood he and his lyricist-wife Gina used to lead. From radio and television to theatrical films and recordings, Garcia has been active in virtually every area of the entertainment industry since the late ’40s. His early 1960s scores for George Pal’s “The Time Machine” and “Atlantis: The Lost Continent” virtually created the music template for science fiction films that followed, and his un-credited work on Charlie Chaplin’s Oscar-winning score for the film ‘Limelight’ has fans launching a grass-roots campaign to set the record straight (http://www.jazzwax.com/2008/09/the-case-of-the.html).  His jazz arranging and composing is legendary in its own right and can be heard on recordings by Stan Kenton, Roy Eldridge, Stan Getz, as well as a classic version of “Porgy and Bess” featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. When describing the orchestral sounds that emerged from the West Coast jazz scene during the 1950s, the name Russell Garcia always comes to mind.  Not only did he provide arrangements for many singers and instrumentalists, he recorded more than 60 albums under his own name.  As if all that wasn’t enough, his book, The Professional Arranger-Composer, has been a valued tool for both beginners and veterans since it was written in the mid-’40’s.  In 2009, he and his wife Gina were awarded The New Zealand Order of Merit from the Queen of England for their Service to Music.

Shaynee Rainbolt (www.shayneerainbolt.com), one of today’s rising jazz singers, first worked with Garcia in 2007 when he entrusted her with the first-ever album of all Garcia originals entitled Charmed Life.  Arranged by Garcia for his signature four-trombone band, this collaboration garnered two MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Awards for Best Jazz Recording (Charmed Life) and Best Song (I Remember, Music by Garcia and Lyrics by Rainbolt & Garcia.)  A top seller on CDBaby, the album was also chosen by TalkinBroadway.com as one of their Top 10 CD’s of 2008 and the press also took notice saying, “Rainbolt breathes joyful new life into his oeuvre…her interpretations plugging straight into the core of Garcia’s artistry. Beautifully sung…remarkable…” Jazzwise Magazine (UK); “This happy collaboration features Shaynee Rainbolt in inspired form…hear the magical combination of Shaynee Rainbolt and Russ Garcia.” LA Jazz Scene; “When Shaynee Rainbolt navigates the shoals of Russ Garcia’s arrangements, a beautiful artistic union forms – that of an emerging voice and an orchestral master.” Downbeat; “The classic sounds of Garcia are alive and well in the capable hands of Rainbolt and should remain there for a long time.” Jazz Improv Magazine

Terese Genecco (www.teresegenecco.com), who Will Friedwald of the Wall Street Journal said “…if Frank, Dean and Sammy ever returned from the Great Casino in the Sky, the first youngish female singer that I’d recommend to join their clan is this high-voltage entertainer,” has the Longest Running Nightclub Act on Broadway at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City.  In her third year of an open-ended run of shows, she is a critic and audience favorite. Genecco and Garcia have a special connection due to Genecco’s award-winning, one-woman tribute show, “Drunk with Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye!” Faye is Genecco’s idol and was one of Garcia’s favorite collaborators as well as a close personal friend.  Since relocating from San Francisco, where Genecco won the Bay Area “Entertainer of the Year” Award, there is hardly an award or accolade she hasn’t garnered. Terese is described as “addictive” and her fans call themselves “Geneccoholics.”  The critics agree.  This high-powered entertainer has won the 2009 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) Award for Outstanding Vocalist, a 2009 OUT Music Award for Outstanding Cabaret/Comedy/Theater Song; a 2008 MAC Award for Best Recording for her Live CD of “Drunk with Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye!” (which was also chosen as one of TalkinBroadway.com’s Top 10 CD’s of 2007) and the show itself won her the 2007 Bistro Award from Back Stage Magazine and a Top 10 Best Cabaret Show from Time Out New York Magazine for two years running (2006 & 2007).

*  * *

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 6, 6:30 pm:

Iridium Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; 212-582-2121; Tickets: $25.00; www.theiridium.com; http://www.iridiumlive.tv

#  #  #

Dr. David A. Hampton, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church,
To Return to Indianapolis to Lead Light of the World Christian Church

BROOKLYN, NY, November 1, 2011 – Dr. David A. Hampton, Pastor of Bethany Baptist Church since January 2008, has accepted the call to serve as Senior Pastor of Light of the World Christian Church in his hometown, Indianapolis, IN, it was announced last week by both churches.  The Senior Pastor Elect will follow the pastorate of Bishop Tom Benjamin, who will retire as Senior Pastor at the end of 2012.  Dr. Hampton and his family will relocate to Indianapolis in December.

“It is with mixed emotions that my family and I begin this new journey,” said Dr. Hampton. “While we will miss the wonderful people of Bethany, our many friends in Brooklyn and New York in general, we are delighted that God has set us on this path that not only leads home to Indianapolis, but also to one of the city’s greatest churches. I have been blessed to be elected to follow two of the world’s most dynamic preachers and teachers – Bethany’s Dr. William Augustus , Jones, Jr. and Light of the World’s Bishop Tom Benjamin. Both pastors served their churches faithfully for more than 40 years and I am humbled to stand in the pulpits of these great purveyors of the Word.”

The Bethany congregation wishes Dr. Hampton and his family all the best as they return to their hometown and embark on this next phase of their ministry.  Information on the search for a new Pastor will be announced in the coming months.

Bishop Benjamin stated, “Dr. Hampton is an Indianapolis native whom I had the opportunity to mentor as a young man. He has many unique gifts and a great love for people.  His approach to ministry will be well received in the city and particularly at Light of the World. He preaches with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other hand, which makes his preaching timely and relevant. Light of the World is a social justice platform for the Gospel to reach the world. We are blessed to have Dr. Hampton and Hope return to Indianapolis after such a positive and powerful experience with the Bethany Baptist Church family. I never would have dreamed after recommending Dr. Hampton to Bethany and presiding over his installation that he would be returning to the place of his birth, but God never makes a mistake. We must just trust Him.

My relationship with Bethany and my long-standing friendship with Dr. Jones are known by many, and in some ways we are actually sharing in the gifts of friendship and relationship that could never make us enemies, but will always make us friends. We must never forget Romans 8:28 – … all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Prior to becoming the 10^th Pastor of the historic Bethany Baptist Church, Dr. Hampton served as Senior Pastor at Zion Hope Baptist Church and at Antioch Church, both in Indianapolis, where he was licensed and ordained under the leadership of his Pastor, Rev. Jeffrey A. Johnson, Sr. of Eastern Star Church.  Dr. Hampton was Executive Director of Celebration of Hope in 1999, having served under his father in ministry, Bishop Benjamin.  Dr. Hampton also served as a Field Education Supervisor at Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis in 2005.

Upon his arrival to New York City, Dr. Hampton took seriously the prophetic call of social justice as he participated in a May 2008 protest of the Sean Bell verdict. He was arrested and jailed for civil disobedience. Dr. Hampton currently serves on the Board of Directors of the National Action Network. In June 2008, he became a member of Brooklyn Congregations Together (BCT). As an active member of the PNBC, he currently serves on the Economic Development Committee and is Vice-President of the New York State Progressive Congress of Christian Education.  Dr. Hampton served as a founding Board Member of Brooklyn City Prep Charter High School and on the Advisory Board of Boys and Girls High School, maintaining a passion for education reform. He is committed to global missions, particularly in Africa, having traveled to Kenya and Egypt. He also works with the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, and has traveled to Israel.

Dr. Hampton, who served as an adjunct professor at New York Theological Seminary, is author of the book Narrative Theology as an Hermeneutic Approach. He is listed among Distinguished Faith Leaders in the 2003–07 editions of Who’s Who in Black Indianapolis and the Inaugural Edition of Who’s Who in Black New York City in 2009. He is a 2011 recipient of the Presidential Call to Service Award, recognized by President Barack Obama.

Reverend Hampton earned a B.A. Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Indianapolis (1994), a Master of Theological Studies Degree (2000), and a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Practical Theology (Summa Cum Laude) from Christian Theological Seminary (2006).  He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Prince Hall F&AM.

Dr. Hampton and his wife Hope share in the blessings of two children, Taylor and Gabriel.

Bethany Baptist Church is located at 460 Marcus Garvey Blvd., between Decatur and MacDonough Streets in Brooklyn. Worship services are held at 8:00 am and 11:00 am on Sundays as well as at various times throughout the week. For more information on the Bethany experience, please contact the church office at (718) 455-8400.

#  #  #

Due to Doctor’s Order, Garcia Will Celebrate in New Zealand
While Vocalists Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco
Host Tributes at Yoshi’s Oakland on November 1 and
at Iridium Jazz Club in New York on November 6

New York Tribute Concert,
Featuring Billy Stritch with Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco,
Will Be Streamed Live from Iridium
at www.livestream.com/iridiumlive

NEW YORK, NY, October 19, 2011 – Legendary composer, arranger and conductor Russell Garcia has been ordered by his doctor to give up his travel plans to participate in his three-city 95^th Birthday Tour.  Although disappointed by the decision, Garcia will celebrate from his home in New Zealand while vocalists Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco host tributes at Yoshi’s Oakland on November 1, and at New York’s Iridium Jazz Club on November 6. The New York celebration features special guest star Billy Stritch.

The concert scheduled for October 26 at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood has been cancelled.

Garcia, who suffered from collapsed vertebrae last week, is on bed rest and unable to travel, but it doesn’t stop him from celebrating with Rainbolt and Genecco. Since stricken with the painful condition, Garcia has been on the phone and e-mail to assist his musical partners with arrangements and to encourage his friends, family and fans to come out to celebrate in his absence. In New York, the concert will be streamed live, allowing Garcia to not only watch the concert, but also to participate. Tune in to www.livestream.com/iridiumlive.

“We are all so sad that Russ can’t join us in person, but we are thrilled that we are able to celebrate his birthday and present his music with fabulous musicians in these wonderful venues,” said Shaynee Rainbolt, who released Charmed Life, a CD of Garcia originals in 2007. “I have been in awe of Russ and his talent since meeting him while working on the CD. To hear Russ in the midst of severe pain encourage Terese and me to move forward with the concerts is a testament to his dedication to music and music lovers. Russ wouldn’t have it any other way, so we will do our best to present memorable evenings of his music, surrounded by friends, family and fans who love him.”

Joining Rainbolt and Genecco at Yoshi’s are Larry Dunlap, piano; Daniel Fabricant, bass;  Tom Duckworth, drums; Rich Armstrong, trumpet; Tony Malfatti, tenor saxophone; and, in Garcia’s four-trombone signature style, Doug Beavers, Don Benham, Greg Saúl and Floyd Reinhart.

In New York, Rainbolt and the Iridium’s own Genecco will perform Garcia originals plus classics from The Great American Songbook arranged by Garcia and accompanied by their high-voltage, 9-piece Little Big Band featuring pianist Billy Stritch along with bassist Tom Hubbard, drummer Ray Marchica, trumpeter Bud Burridge, tenor saxophonist Cliff Lyons and trombonists John Fedchock, John Allred, Nate Mayland and George Flynn.

“In addition to celebrating the genius of Russ Garcia, performing his music is very special for many reasons,” said Terese Genecco. “In 1956, Russ did orchestrations of Porgy and Bess for Mel Tormé and Frances Faye. Two years later, Russ orchestrated a ground-breaking version of new arrangements of the music for Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. I am a huge Faye fan, Billy Stritch is a fan of Tormé and everyone loves Louis and Ella. In our tribute to Russ, Billy and I will present our rendition of Bess, You Is My Woman Now. I truly wish Russ could be with us to guide us through one of his most memorable musical contributions.  Thanks to technology, he will be with us in spirit and via Internet.”

“It is fitting and fantastic that Russ can ‘conduct’ the band while recuperating in New Zealand,” added Rainbolt. “He has always been on the cutting edge in the entertainment industry, with his film scores and the outstanding music he has composed and arranged for some of the world’s greatest artists. He has seen tremendous changes throughout his 75-year career, and he is excited that with the support of today’s technology, he will be able to enjoy and participate in the concert.”

Whether Russ Garcia (born April 12, 1916 in Oakland, CA) was working on a sound stage at MGM Universal, a major-label recording studio in Hollywood, a concert hall conducting a symphony, a jazz club or festival around the world, his body of work speaks for itself.  He hesitates to toot his own horn, saying he feels like he’s name-dropping; but to this day, people continue to drop his name.  Over the years, he has worked Sammy Davis, Jr., Anita O’Day, Bud Shank, Julie London, Sarah Vaughan, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, Count Basie, Miles Davis, Johnny Hodges, Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, Harry James, Bill Holman, Jayne Mansfield, Bette Davis, Ira and George Gershwin, Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, Mickey Rooney, Henry Mancini, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin, Marvin Hamlisch, Clint Eastwood and numerous others.

Now living a relatively quiet life in New Zealand but still continuing to work at home and abroad, at 95, Garcia’s life is far from the glamorous world of Hollywood he and his lyricist-wife Gina used to lead. From radio and television to theatrical films and recordings, Garcia has been active in virtually every area of the entertainment industry since the late ’40s. His early 1960s scores for George Pal’s “The Time Machine” and “Atlantis: The Lost Continent” virtually created the music template for science fiction films that followed, and his un-credited work on Charlie Chaplin’s Oscar-winning score for the film ‘Limelight’ has fans launching a grass-roots campaign to set the record straight (http://www.jazzwax.com/2008/09/the-case-of-the.html).  His jazz arranging and composing is legendary in its own right and can be heard on recordings by Stan Kenton, Roy Eldridge, Stan Getz, as well as a classic version of “Porgy and Bess” featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. When describing the orchestral sounds that emerged from the West Coast jazz scene during the 1950s, the name Russell Garcia always comes to mind.  Not only did he provide arrangements for many singers and instrumentalists, he recorded more than 60 albums under his own name.  As if all that wasn’t enough, his book, The Professional Arranger-Composer, has been a valued tool for both beginners and veterans since it was written in the mid-’40’s.  In 2009, he and his wife Gina were awarded The New Zealand Order of Merit from the Queen of England for their Service to Music.

Shaynee Rainbolt (www.shayneerainbolt.com), one of today’s rising jazz singers, first worked with Garcia in 2007 when he entrusted her with the first-ever album of all Garcia originals entitled Charmed Life.  Arranged by Garcia for his signature four-trombone band, this collaboration garnered two MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Awards for Best Jazz Recording (Charmed Life) and Best Song (I Remember, Music by Garcia and Lyrics by Rainbolt & Garcia.)  A top seller on CDBaby, the album was also chosen by TalkinBroadway.com as one of their Top 10 CD’s of 2008 and the press also took notice saying, “Rainbolt breathes joyful new life into his oeuvre…her interpretations plugging straight into the core of Garcia’s artistry. Beautifully sung…remarkable…” Jazzwise Magazine (UK); “This happy collaboration features Shaynee Rainbolt in inspired form…hear the magical combination of Shaynee Rainbolt and Russ Garcia.” LA Jazz Scene; “When Shaynee Rainbolt navigates the shoals of Russ Garcia’s arrangements, a beautiful artistic union forms – that of an emerging voice and an orchestral master.” Downbeat; “The classic sounds of Garcia are alive and well in the capable hands of Rainbolt and should remain there for a long time.” Jazz Improv Magazine

Terese Genecco (www.teresegenecco.com), who Will Friedwald of the Wall Street Journal said “…if Frank, Dean and Sammy ever returned from the Great Casino in the Sky, the first youngish female singer that I’d recommend to join their clan is this high-voltage entertainer,” has the Longest Running Nightclub Act on Broadway at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City.  In her third year of an open-ended run of shows, she is a critic and audience favorite. Genecco and Garcia have a special connection due to Genecco’s award-winning, one-woman tribute show, “Drunk with Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye!” Faye is Genecco’s idol and was one of Garcia’s favorite collaborators as well as a close personal friend.  Since relocating from San Francisco, where Genecco won the Bay Area “Entertainer of the Year” Award, there is hardly an award or accolade she hasn’t garnered. Terese is described as “addictive” and her fans call themselves “Geneccoholics.”  The critics agree.  This high-powered entertainer has won the 2009 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) Award for Outstanding Vocalist, a 2009 OUT Music Award for Outstanding Cabaret/Comedy/Theater Song; a 2008 MAC Award for Best Recording for her Live CD of “Drunk with Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye!” (which was also chosen as one of TalkinBroadway.com’s Top 10 CD’s of 2007) and the show itself won her the 2007 Bistro Award from Back Stage Magazine and a Top 10 Best Cabaret Show from Time Out New York Magazine for two years running (2006 & 2007).

CONCERTS:

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1, 8 pm:

Yoshi’s Jazz Club, 510 Embarcadero West, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA 94607; 510-238-9200; Tickets: $20.00; www.yoshis.com/oakland

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 6, 6:30 pm:

Iridium Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; 212-582-2121; Tickets: $25.00; www.theiridium.com; www.livestream.com/iridiumlive

#  #  #

Saxophonist Donald Harrison’s jazz programs in New Orleans
to be the first recipient of superbly crafted pianos on November 15, 2011

NEW ORLEANS, October 5, 2011 – Basilios Strmec, CEO of Hailun USA, a piano company based in Ningbo, China, announces the launching of an annual nationwide program of Piano Partnerships with jazz musicians and significant courses of jazz studies. The Piano Partnerships begin with their presentation of Hailun’s HG 178 grand piano and HU 1 P upright piano on November 15 to the renowned jazz saxophonist and composer Donald Harrison for use in the two jazz programs that he runs in New Orleans. In conjunction with the installation of the pianos, Harrison will present a concert which will include some famous New Orleans piano classics on November 16 at the Tipitina’s Foundation, where he is the musical director of the internship program.

“This is a dream come true,” says Harrison. “I initiated free music programs at The Tipitina’s Foundation and The Guardians Institute in 2007 to provide the gifted young people in New Orleans opportunities and a place to develop as musicians. Hailun Pianos is providing an essential element to ensure the highest level for music studies in New Orleans. These pianos will play an important role in continuing the traditions that made New Orleans the birthplace of American music. The impact of this is going to be life-changing for so many people.”

Basilios Strmec acknowledges, “Donald Harrison exemplifies the type of leadership as a musician, and as a member of his community, that Hailun Pianos is seeking for its partnerships, and that is why he was chosen to be the first partner in our new program. It is obvious that there is an exciting resurgence of musical culture in New Orleans, and that Donald Harrison is in the vanguard of that resurgence. Hailun is honored to participate in his jazz programs that are inspiring a new generation of New Orleans musicians. “

Born in New Orleans in 1960, saxophonist Donald Harrison began playing with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in his early twenties. He had already completed what most musicians would call a career when the influential band he co-led with fellow New Orleans native trumpeter Terence Blanchard broke up in 1989. But Harrison was only beginning. Choosing to work in a number of genres at once, Harrison has released a series of albums that are touchstones of contemporary New Orleans music, particularly the immensely important 1992 release “Indian Blues,“ in which he brought the Mardi Gras Indian music learned from his father, Donald Harrison Sr., into a vibrant contemporary jazz/R&B setting. Harrison continues to perform and record in traditional jazz settings with both acoustic and electric bands as well as what he calls Nouveau Swing, a roots amalgam merging acoustic jazz, Mardi Gras Indian Music, hip-hop, second line and reggae. Harrison also has been a potent influence on younger musicians, mentoring personalities as different as rapper Notorious BIG and whiz kid trumpeter Christian Scott. As the director of Tipitina’s Intern Program, he often works with musicians from that program as his band when performing. Other notable former interns of the Tipitina’s program include Jonathan Batiste, Trombone Shorty, Khris Royal, Joe Dyson, Max Moran and Conun Pappas.

Hailun Pianos has become the standard for high quality piano manufacturing across the Far East, and a global influence in the world of pianos. Owner Hailun Chen, with more than 20 years of successful manufacturing experience, has worked closely with Peter Veletzky, a fourth generation piano builder from Vienna, to develop technology to build pianos that are equal in quality to the best European-made pianos. Hailun’s 430,000 square foot factory now employs over 800 workers and 37 seasoned piano engineers. This uncompromising insistence to achieve maximum quality and product excellence has made Hailun the piano of choice for thousands all over the world. Since the partnership with Mr. Veletzky, Hailun has retained the talents of well-known American piano designer and engineer George F. Emerson, Viennese piano voicing and sound specialist Zlatkovic Sibin, Japanese production specialist Ema Shigeru and French scale designer and piano builder Stephen Paulello. These collaborations ensure long-term quality, innovation, and artistic production at Hailun Pianos. With over 360 European piano dealers, over 80 U.S. Authorized Hailun Merchants, over 40 merchants in Japan and a growing network in other parts of the world, Hailun Pianos is the epitome of an innovative, progressive company that is expanding in response to the world market.

The Hailun Piano Company is also placing an HU 1 P upright in The Blue Monk, a jazz club in Portland, Oregon. Hailun is dedicated to helping the future musicians of the world and will begin the process soon to find recipients in the field of music education to participate in the Piano Partnership in 2012.

#  #  #

www.donaldharrison.com

www.hailun-pianos.com

NEW YORK, NY, October 5, 2011 – There comes a point in an artist’s life when she hits her stride: when all of the musical, artistic and emotional elements align themselves perfectly in that artist’s orbit; making her shine brighter than she ever did before. With the release of her new CD, I Love Myself When I’m Laughing … And Then Again When I’m Looking Mean and Impressive (Zenzalai Music), the award-winning, Chicago-born vocalist, composer, lyricist, arranger, educator and former U.S. Jazz Ambassador Lenora Zenzalai Helm brilliantly illuminates the jazz world with this soulful and spectacular 13-track CD.

It features music and lyrics inspired by two Chicago storytellers, and by writers Zora Neale Hurston, Neale Donald Walsch and Alice Walker, Robert Kennedy, biographers Gene Santoro and Ross Russell, poets Rudyard Kipling and Sam White, and the music and lyrics of Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Jon Hendricks and Joni Mitchell.

I Love Myself When I’m Laughing … And Then Again When I’m Looking Mean and Impressive is available now at http://cdbaby.com/cd/lenorazenzalaihelm2.

On this CD, Helm – who lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she is a Visiting Instructor in the Jazz Studies Program and Music Department at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) – is supported by an impassioned and impressive core rhythm section featuring drummer Larry “Q” Draughn, Jr., bassist Lance E. Scott, Jr., and pianist Ryan Hanseler.  They lay down a sensitive and swinging magic carpet for Helm to soar as she works her moving and velvet soprano as it weaves its spell –forged in the aching embers of Billie Holiday and Abbey Lincoln.

The primal, percussive “Huntress,” inspired Sam White’s book of poems: The Goddess of the Hunt Is Not Herself; the haunting, cymbal-shimmered “Beauty,” a tribute to Helm’s maternal grandmother Helen Amelia Graine Faulk, a legendary matriarch and Chicago cosmetologist; and the dancing lead track, “Tears Are A River That Take You Someplace” – a line taken from Zora Neale Hurston’s novel Their Eyes Were Watching God – are three selections from  Journeywoman: A Work in Progress, Helm’s five-part suite, written as a result of winning the 2004 Chamber Music America/ Doris Duke Foundation’s New Jazz Works grant for jazz composers – making her the first African-American to win that award.

The moving and midtempo title track, augmented by an ethereal vocal choir arrangement, is another Hurston-inspired gem titled after an anthology of her works. “Begin Again” is a wistful vocal/piano duet based on Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If,” and Alice Walker’s The Way Forward is with a Broken Heart, featuring NCCU piano professor, Ed Paolanotino. Helm’s aural alchemy is equally phenomenal with her stunning renditions of jazz standards. “Skies of Bud (Blues Skies/Suddenly (In Walked Bud)” was birthed from her conversations with Chicago griot/jazz historian Donald “Poppa” Meade, and stays true to Thelonious Monk’s “In Walked Bud,” laced with lyrics by Jon Hendricks and Helm’s lyric to Irving Berlin’s melody. Helm’s reading of three books – Ross Russell’s Bird Lives, Duke Ellington’s Music Is My Mistress and J.C. Thomas Takin’ The Trane, with the writings of Neale Donald Walsch and become “Charlie Parker’s Tale, “I Didn’t Know About You,” and “A Conversation with God (Dear Lord),” with vocalist Michael Hanna, grandson of  piano giant Roland Hanna.

Helm also delivers a moving rendition of Joni Mitchell’s version of the immortal Charles Mingus elegy to Lester Young, “Goodbye Porkpie Hat,” with Brian Horton’s serpentine soprano sax solo, and “Sampson’s Nemesis (Delilah)” is an inventive reinterpretation of the Victor Young standard “Delilah” made famous by trumpeter Clifford Brown. Her take on Jason Moran’s Capetown-cadenced, “Ripples (RFK in the Land of Apartheid)” from the 2011 PBS documentary – based on a speech Robert F. Kennedy made  when he toured South Africa in 1966, dances with the kind of message-oriented, Motherland pulses that are a vital part of the jazz continuum.  The CD closes with a stirring, solo performance of the hymn, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” inspired by her surviving a car crash during the making of this CD. Her friend, vocalist Nnenna Freelon, who just lost her mother, asked Helm to sing it at a memorial service, and the piece also evokes the eternal spirit of Helm’s maternal grandmother.

Lenora Zenzalai Helm’s infinite variety of musical experiences originate from her birthplace, Chicago, where she was born into a musical family. At the age of eight she started singing and later learned to play trumpet, organ, piano, and guitar. After moving to New York in 1987, she worked with a number of artists including saxophonists Dave Liebman, Antonio Hart and Branford Marsalis, and pianists Donald Brown and Andrew Hill.  She was the first African-American woman to receive a B.A. in Film Music Composition/Voice from Berklee School of Music in Boston in 1982.  In 1994, she won Best New Jazz Artist from the syndicated Jazz in the City radio program. Her previous recordings as a leader include Awakenings (Baoule Music, 1997), Spirit Child (J Curve, 1999), Precipice (Baoule Music, 2002), Voice Paintings (MidLantic Records 2003/2007) and Chronicles of a Butterfly (Zenzalai Music, 2009).

Helm’s jazz suite, Journeywoman: A Work in Progress, was written as a result of winning Chamber Music America’s New Works: Creation & Presentation Award for Jazz Composers in 2004 and the Encore Award in 2007. She also received awards from other organizations including Meet the Composer and a coveted Composer Fellowship from the MacDowell Colony, the oldest artist’s colony in the United States. Her film music composer credits include After Life by writer/director Lana, previewed and awarded in 2007 at the Arizona Black Film Festival and the Village D Cinema festival in Lisbon, Portugal.  Helm’s extensive educational credentials include a MA in Jazz Performance form East Carolina University, and work as a teacher/clinician at numerous schools and institutions including The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Long Island Performing Arts High School,  and Carnegie Hall/Link Up.  She served as a Jazz Ambassador for the United States State Department and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 1998-99. She currently serves as a Visiting Instructor in the Music Department at North Carolina Central University.

All of Lenora Zenzalai Helm’s broad artistry and experience make I Love Myself When I’m Laughing … And Then Again When I’m Looking Mean and Impressive the wonderful masterpiece that it is. As Lana Garland writes in the CD liner notes, “I Love Myself When I’m Laughing is a barefoot walk around the human experience and the tour guide, Lenora Zenzalai Helm, makes us listen, ponder, swing a little, listen and then swing some more! Grasping all the nuances, colors, and details of this well-crafted work takes time. It is a treasure that must be listened to over and again and as Henry Miller suggests, you will forget yourself.”

For more information, visit www.lenorahelm.com.

Hear the new CD at http://cdbaby.com/cd/lenorazenzalaihelm2

*  *  *

LISTENING PARTIES
10/1, 5:00 – 7:00 pm – Chicago, IL
The Home of Reggie “Rajah” Helm

10/14 – New York, NY
Hosted by SUNY COIL Institute (Private Event)

10/19 – Richmond, VA (Location TBA)

10/22, 4:30 – 6:30 pm – Durham, NC
Hosted by Bikram Yoga
Golden Belt, 807 E. Main Street

CD RELEASE PARTY & CONCERT
10/17, 7:00 – 9:00 pm – Raleigh, NC
Hosted by Hopper Piano
1800 Tillery Place, Suite A

The above events are free and open to the public, except where noted.

#  #  #

]]> http://carolynmcclairpr.com/news/2011/10/05/lenora-zenzalai-helms-new-cd-i-love-myself-when-im-laughing-available-now/feed/ 0