Gospel Jazz Music

Musical Improvisation: Church, Spirit and Body (part 2/2)

2011-10-01T00:45:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Jeremy Begbie's chapter in "The Modern Theologians" edited by David Ford. Source: http://www.crescendo-jazz.com We move to a second area – the Holy Spirit. Improvisation, to a very large extent, entails what the poet Peter Riley has called ‘the exploration of occasion’.(1) Much depends on the particularities of the specific context of performance - for example, the acoustic of...

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Will Todd, and his "Mass in Blue"

2011-05-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Some days ago, I found on Youtube an amazing Jazz Mass, composed by Will Todd. I share with you some information of this great work, obtained directly from the website of the british composer. I hope you enjoy it! Will Todd's Mass in Blue, an upbeat setting of the latin mass, is a brilliant blend of driving jazz grooves and clear, strong, choral writing against which the solo piano and solo...

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Musical Improvisation: Church, Spirit and Body (part 1/2)

2011-04-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from Jeremy Begbie's chapter in "The Modern Theologians" edited by David Ford. Source: http://www.crescendo-jazz.com Improvisation, "the simultaneous conception and production of sound in performance"(1), despite the flurry of interest in it in recent years by musicologists, is treated by many musicians with suspicion, even disdain. Yet the evidence is that not only is there an...

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Bill Carter and his "presbybop" music

2011-03-19T22:12:00.000-07:00

Bill Carter is a pianist, composer, arranger, presbyterian minister and a benchmark of sacred jazz music. Based on Pennsylvania USA, Carter perhaps is one of the most important musicians dedicated to expand and redefine the boundaries of christian liturgical music, through jazz. Bill is a very experimented musician, with nearly thirty years composing and arranging. He also teaching jazz piano...

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Points of contact between art, religion and Christian faith

2011-02-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Extract of article "Art from the Christian point of view" by theologist Beat Rink Source: http://www.crescendo-jazz.com Not only in Christianity are there many points of contact between art and religion. Without art, no cult, no divine service and no Christian church history is conceivable. On the other hand, the conductor Nikolaus Harnoncourt can say that “I believe there is no...

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Quamon Fowler, powerful gospel jazz

2010-12-18T21:56:00.000-08:00

Talk about Quamon Fowler, is talk about a very creative musician. Originally from Forth Worh, Texas USA, he started his career as tenor saxophonist when he was only eleven years, and as composer at fifteen. He studied at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with the world-renowned clarinetist Alvin Batiste. In the spring of 2002, Quamon was selected to be a part of the Betty Carter...

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The Sacred Jazz of Deanna Witkowski

2010-10-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

No doubt that pianist, vocalist, composer and winner of the 2002 Great American Jazz Piano Competition, Deanna Witkowski is one of the more important sacred jazz artists today. With a very original and virtuous style, she mixes contemporary and latin jazz genres from a spiritual perspective. Based in New York, Deanna has worked in different projects related with sacred jazz. The most...

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Saint Peter's Church, The "Jazz Church"

2010-05-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

In New York, there is a christian church where one can enjoy jazz in the liturgy, all sundays!, this is the Saint Peter's Church, located in 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street. For nearly 40 years, the Jazz Ministry of Saint Peter's Church has been the spiritual home for jazz in New York City. Started by Pastor John Garcia Gensel out of his passion for the music and as part of his ministry...

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Causeway, the cream of the crop!

2010-04-09T16:53:00.000-07:00

In this occasion I will speak you about a very interesting christian jazz group: Causeway. The first performance of this group was in the 1993 "Miami Easter Sunrise Service", in wich pianist and keyboardist Todd Billingsley enlisted four musicians that he knew to be believers: Rey Sánchez, music director and producer for Sony artists Cheyenne and Braulio, Fofi Lancha, ex-drummer for Gloria...

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Brentwood Jazz Quartet, eclecticism with elegance

2010-03-23T01:10:00.000-07:00

As jazz fan, one of my first experiences in sacred jazz was the music of The Brentwood Jazz Quartet. This group was a very interesting reunion of four musicians for one of the most important christian label, Brentwood Records. The group recorded a serie of albums in which it's possible to find christian hymns arranged in jazz style and original compositions. The members of Brentwood Jazz...

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Dallas Christian Jazz Band, CD "Sermonette"

2010-02-08T19:05:00.000-08:00

The Dallas Christian Jazz Band (DCJB) is a nondenominational big band dedicated to bringing meaningful and exciting Christian music to audiences across Dallas-Fort Worth, USA, and beyond. Founded in 1994, the DCJB is made up of saxophones, trombones, trumpets and a rhythm section. The group's members, led by Music Director David Kelley, are dedicated musicians of all ages, backgrounds and...

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The Bubbha Thomas Holiday Jazz Concert

2009-12-16T03:24:00.000-08:00

Jazz Education Inc. was founded by Jazz artist Bubbha Thomas, who saw a need to fill a void where music education and youth were concerned. With a grant from The National Endowment for the Arts, he started an 8-week "Summer Program for Youthful Musicians" at St. James Episcopal Church. Seventy students attended the first FREE session. Since then, Jazz Education Inc. has grown from a...

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Ike Sturm's album "Spirit"

2009-12-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

Today I will speak about a great bassist, bandleader, composer and music director for jazz at Saint Peter's Church (the "jazz church"), in Manhattan, New York City: Ike Sturm. Ike Sturm is a graduate (with distinction) of the prestigious Eastman School of Music with a Master of Music degree in jazz bass performance and a Bachelor of Music degree in jazz bass performance and music education...

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Aboda, indonesian smooth jazz

2009-11-19T23:46:00.000-08:00

Aboda ("to serve" in hebrew) is an emergent indonesian group, integrated by four young brothers: Timotius Noya (piano & keyboards), Fanuel Noya (drums), Filémon Noya (guitars) and Clement Noya (bass). It's style oscillate between smooth jazz, fusion and gospel, with an exquisite sound. The band was formed around 1999, and its main motivation was rearrange old Christian songs, especially...

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Atrium Jazz Band, an interesting proposal

2009-11-14T11:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, there are excellent projects that don't have good disclosure. From occasional projects, focused on a single album/appearance, to musicians that don't have a way for make known your projects beyond their friends circle. This was one of main motivations for creating this blog, because I give myself the work of investigate carefully on the web about this kind of projects. One of this are...

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Gozo & Paz: latin jazz from Mexico

2009-11-05T18:05:00.000-08:00

Jazz is an universal musical language which has been mixed with different rhythms, styles and cultures, and in its gospel variant also has experienced this. Today I will write about an interesting latin jazz band, originally from Palenque, Chiapas in Mexico: Gozo & Paz. The beginnings of Gozo & Paz Latinjazz Band date back to 1999, when three friends, guitarist Eduardo "Lalo" Olivares,...

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Ray Lyon: "Atmospheric" Jazz Fusion

2009-11-01T09:43:00.000-08:00

Today I will write about one of my favorite christian jazz musicians: Ray Lyon. This keyboardist and pianist is originally from Virginia, USA, and began play the piano at six years old. He studied classical piano with argentinean pianist Raul Spivak, and jazz piano with Vince Maggio and another known christian jazz pianist, Chuck Marohnic. He studied at Palm Beach Community College, Eastman...

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The W.E.S. Group: "A Jazz Mass"

2009-10-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

I present you a review of a interesting project led by saxophonist and assistant professor at American University in the Department of Performing Arts, Dr. William E. Smith, and played by his ensemble: The W.E.S. Group. A Jazz Mass is a musical work which its only goal is seeks the way to speak to the heart of all people. This is possible, because although jazz grew up in the secular world of...

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About "Sacred Jazz" article of Eric Reed

2009-10-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

On AllAboutJazz.com there is an article entitled "Sacred Jazz", written by pianist and composer Eric Reed, in which he explains the relation between gospel music and jazz. I will refer to two important points that Eric mention, and I think there are interesting. For me, there was never a conscious aesthetic separation of gospel and secular music, but I had enough good sense not to subject the...

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Tyrone Birkett's album "In the Fullness of Time"

2009-10-08T17:29:00.000-07:00

Saxophonist Tyrone Birkett grew up and studied in New York city. His first experience with gospel jazz was when he was invited to the Saint Peter's Lutheran Church, the "Jazz Church" to play with a trio. From that moment, and then he formed is own group, The Tyrone Birkett Group, he has been dedicated to play gospel music with a jazz perspective. The Tyrone Birkett Group has player in different...

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Jim Martinez's Jazz Praise

2009-10-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

Jim Martinez is a creative and virtuous pianist that has a style which oscillates between bebop, hard bop, cool and sometimes, latin-american rhythms. In relation with his influences, the most important come from straight-ahead jazz musicians as Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Vincent Guaraldi, among others. He have also classical training, especially from ukrainian teacher Yuriy Oliynyk. He won...

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Cyrus Chestnut's album "You are my Sunshine"

2009-09-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

If you like acoustic post bop or simply black gospel music, I think the music of pianist and composer Cyrus Chestnut is suitable for you. Considered as a major force in the evolution of jazz piano in the 21st century, Cyrus Chestnut has an unique and innovative sound, with a mix of different styles and genres, but always within of pure jazz. Cyrus is a very experienced jazz pianist, who has...

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John Coltrane and his "Love Supreme"

2009-09-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

To fully understand a musical work, it's necessary to know all the motivations and feelings of the composer. This is the case of the John Coltrane's album A Love Supreme, recorded in 1965, which besides being one of the most important and influential records in the jazz history, it has a very strong religious component. In words of Coltrane: During the year 1957, I experienced , by the grace of...

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Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts

2009-09-10T00:37:00.000-07:00

Lena Horne and Duke Ellington perform his first Concert of Sacred Music at the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, Dec. 27, 1965. No doubt that Duke Ellington is one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz. Standards as Take The "A" Train, Sophisticated Lady or many others are very known for jazz fans. However, his last years, in which Ellington dedicated...

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