The New York Voices

The New York Voices are a vocal jazz group that have learned from other vocal jazz groups such as Take 6, The Manhattan Transfer, Lionel Hampton and have taken jazz music to higher levels which have earned them Grammy Awards. Their sound is definite jazz sound with classical, pop, Brazilian and R&B immersed in.

In 1987, Peter Eldridge, Darmon Meader, Kim Nazarian, Caprice Fox and Sara Krieger formed the group. Darmon, Peter, Caprice and Kim went to Ithaca College, in upstate New York. They were able to go and tour the European jazz festivals in 1986. In 1989 they were signed to GRP Records and their first album New York Voices was released. In no time at all it seemed they became popular in the jazz music world. Four albums were done with GRP.

The Collection, Hearts of Fire and What's Inside. During this time, some changes were made. Sara left, and they auditioned more than sixty vocalists in the United States before they settled on Lauren Kinhan. When she sang with them, the chemistry was real and she fit in perfectly. Thus, they called themselves the "New" New York Voices. Lauren appears on the third recording. In 1994, Caprice left , and the New York Voices was at the point the same as it is presently.

The New York Voices, has recorded their own albums, guest starred on other albums, and many other performances. Some of those performances are Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild, Brazilian Dreams, a Latin Grammy Award winner with Paquito d' Rivera and Heirs of Jobim. They have also performed with many famous jazz artists such as Annie Ross, Bobby McFerrin, Nancy Wilson, John Hendricks and Diana Krall. They tried something new in 1997, by singing Paul Simon's songs. It was called New York Voices Sing the Songs of Paul Simon.

They used many styles to sing his music. Near the end of 2000, after they have completed their sixth album, Sing , Sing, Sing, they took on big band music. They had performed with the Count Basie Orchestra for years, so Darmon arranged the band and vocal parts and Elliot Scheiner who has produced The Manhattan Transfer and Steely Dan, produced a great recording. Other arrangers on the recording were Rob Mounsey and Michael Abene. The result was something complex, with swing, and vocal parts intermingled that was contemporary as well as classic. They did it in a way that did not lessen either style.

In 2006 their was a new recording where they go back to their Brazilian style. The New York Voices have been all around the world astounding audiences with their amazing vocal style, arrangements and classy selections. They have been at numerous jazz festivals, The North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland and The Montreal Jazz Festival.

The New York Voices also helps high school and college students doing workshops and clinics. They have many projects teaching, writing, solo gigs as well as arranging. They are forever expanding their fan base by experimenting with all types of music.

The American Influence Of Jazz Music

The Jazz music sensation began to rub off on other parts of the world which encourages the experimentation of melding their familiar sounds with the essence of Jazz. In Europe's country in the Region of France came the Quintette Du Hot Club de France who was responsible for the making of the early "Gypsy Jazz".

The Belgian guitarist Django Reinhardt created gypsy jazz by mixing the style of French Musette which was used in the dance halls, eastern European Folk known as Jazz Manouche, and American swing of the 1930's. The sound was developed by instruments from the string family which are a steel string guitar, violin, and an upright bass. The atmosphere of the Jazz music is seductive with sudden unpredictable twists, and accelerating rhythms. The French artist Bireli Lagrene plays this unique music with old elements of the past.

Another style of Jazz music that allowed the musicians to express themselves freely was the invention of Avant-garde or free Jazz music. Both of these styles stemmed from the Bebop era, yet produced a relaxed form of harmonic and rhythmic music in the 1940's and 1950's. The musicians John Coltrane, Dewey Redman, Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, Sam Rivers, Ornette Coleman and many more were the creators of the free Jazz music. Between the 1960's and 1970's the Latin musicians created the Afro-Cuban and Brazilian Jazz Music styles after Bebop musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Billy Taylor cultivated it.

Gillespie and Taylor was influenced by the music of Cuban and Puerto Rican musicians Chico O'farrill, Tito Puente, Chano Pozo, Xavier Cugat, Mario Bauza and Arturo Sandoval. Jazz music expressed in a Latin interpretation was termed Bossa Nova with origins in Samba music which is a mixture of Jazz, classical and pop music from the 20th century. Bossa is a moderate sound of music with Classical harmonic structure from Europe, Samba polyrhythm's from Brazil and cool music. The tempo of such a work is about 120 beats per minute. The instruments used in this particular sound is nylon stringed guitar, piano, high hat tap of eighths, tapping on the rim of the drum like Sade's "Sweetest Taboo", and a vocalist. The sound produced is a new relaxing sound where the acoustic sound of the guitar can lull one to sleep with it's easy melodic line.

Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim became popular in the sixties with this style of music. The influence of Jazz music returned to the place of its origins in the religious music known as Urban Contemporary Gospel from the spirituals music. Much of spiritual music sung by southern slaves in the past has a haunting dark and mournful sound during the 1800 and 1900's. The churches know as the sanctified or holy churches took a more happier approach by encouraging member to sing speak their personal testimonies as they celebrated with song and dance.

The sanctified artist Arizona Dranes who was a traveling pastor made recordings that would fit in many musical categories such as blues, and boogie-woogie with the use of Jazz instruments. At the time the Jazz instruments used with religious themed music were percussion and brass instruments.

All About Jazz Dance

The Art of Jazz dance is an amalgamation of different styles of dance that began between 1800's, and the middle of the 1900's rooted in African American movement. One man known for this type of dance was the star of vaudeville Joe Frisco around 1910 who danced in a unrestrained fashion in close vicinity to the ground while tossing his cigar, and derby in a juggling manner. The Jazz dance style up to the middle of 1950's was Tap dance which was always performed with Jazz music such as the Jitterbug, Swing, Boogie Woogie, Lindy Hop, and the Charleston. Katherine Dunham is renowned choreographer and dancer studied the cultural dances of Caribbean in Haiti, Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, Martinique and Shango making this African American dance a modern work of pure art.

She took this style to Hollywood and Broadway who embraced a more refined Jazz dance. Modern Jazz Dance is a smooth style of dance roots from Tap, Ballet and Jazz music which is performed in many musicals from the Pajama Game to Cabaret to Chicago to music videos and the Las Vegas showgirl performances. The usual technique for Jazz dance is that of a ballet dancer for balance and strength from doing slow movements. In contrast the typical Jazz dance has sharp movements, but the skills of ballet smoothes it down into a refined style.

Moreover, Jazz dance is such a versatile style that it can be combined with other dances from lyrical, contemporary and hip hop. Jazz dance like Jazz music can be combined with other dance styles to enhance the dance to another level. For instance, The United Kingdom witness a new movement of dancers in the 1980's who danced when the Jazz, and Funk music clubs was becoming unpopular known as Street Fusion Jazz Dance. Due to the new modern music scene, new groups who longed to keep the tradition of Jazz dance, and still leave room for the new styles.

There are two groups known for street fusion jazz dance known as IDJ ( I Dance Jazz), Brother in Jazz and Jazz Cotech. Famous people of the world of Jazz dance is Fred Astaire, Jerome Robbins, Jack Cole, and Bob Fosse. In the world of Jazz Dance there are terms people use to describe various dance movement.

Jazz Dance Terms:

Ad lib, Axel Turn, Ball Change, Barrel Jump, Barrel Turn, Bounce, Cake Walk, Cat walk, Catch Step, Chasse`, Coffee Grinder, Contract, Curve Or Arch, Dolphin, Drop and Recover, Fall, Fall Over The Log, Fan Kick, Figure 8, Flick, Flick Kick, Freeze, Funk, Head-Roll, Hinge, Hip Walk, Hip-Fall, Hip-Roll, Hitch Kick, Hop, Jazz Drag, Jazz Run, Jazz Split, Jazz Square, Jazz Walk, Jump Over The Log, Kick, Knee Fall, Knee Slide, Knee Turn, Lay Out, Limbo, Mess Around, Moonwalk, Pencil Turn, Pitch, Pivot Step, Primitive Squat, Release, Ripple, Shimmie, Shiver, Shoulder Fall, Shoulder Roll, Sissonne Fall, Skate, Snake, Snap, Spins, Spiral, Stag Leap, Step, Switch, Table Top, Tilt, Touch, Tripplettes, Turns, Twists, and the Worm.

Jazz Music Festivals

If you are a jazz music lover, chances are that you go to a festival every year. What you probably didn't know is that there are jazz festivals all over the world. If you like to travel, expand your jazz tastes and go to these international jazz festivals.

Akbank Jazz Festival, Istanbul, Turkey

October 17-October 27

The Akbank Jazz Festival is one of a diverse mixture of sounds from the country as well as all around the world. Last year's festival was dedicated to Arif Mardin. One artist that has performed there is Kurt Elling. Kurt Elling is very popular in jazz music today. In his ten year career, all six of his albums were nominated for Grammy awards. He has toured all around the world in places including Israel, Japan and Australia. In 2003, he was made Vice Chair on NARAS.(National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences) He has an album out this year.

Barbados Jazz Festival, Barbados

January 8-January 14

Some of the artists that will be performing here are Ruben Studdard, Anita Baker, Macy Gray and Robert Glasper. This is not a free Jazz music festival. Prices to hear performances range from $30 to $100, depending on the artist. If you want to attend this jazz music festival, you cannot order tickets internationally. You have to actually be in Barbados and provide the address where you'll be staying in Barbados and the tickets will be delivered to that address.

Brecon Jazz Festival, United Kingdom

August 11-August 13

Brecon Jazz has been around for twenty-four years. The best jazz music is performed at the brilliant Brecon Beacons National Park. It is located in Wales. The company, Brecon International Festival of Jazz Ltd., a charity organization, is backing the festival has an education and outreach program in Wales and the South-West of England, during the year.

This year, the Brecon Jazz Festival had an Artist-in Residence, Joe Lovano. Joe Lovano is one of the world's best tenor saxophone players and has been around since the '70's. He has performed in Woody Herman's orchestra and Mel Lewis's orchestra. The music he then went on to create broke boundaries collaborating with artists such as John Scofield, Hank Jones and Bill Frisell. He led the BBC Big Band at Brecon, taught a masters class to young welsh Jazz musicians. This year Brecon also featured "Women in Jazz". A couple of the artists were: Jessica Williams from the U.S. and Hiromi from Japan.

Copenhagan Jazz Festival, Denmark

July 6- July 15

In case you didn't know, the Danish are really into jazz. New artists as well as the old have been performing in the city. The concerts in the day are perfomed near the canals and historic homes. Some prefer to play small, crowded clubs. Every live performance is electrifying and memorable. Artists that have performed here are George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars, McCoy Tyner Trio, Scandinavian Brasillian-Big Band,Mavis Staples W. Band, The Zawinul Syndicate and Maceo Parker. Jazz music is not something that is only appreciated in the states, but everywhere around the world. It is important to experience jazz music in other places so that the magic of jazz will ever be broadened, shared and continued to be translated for years to come.

Free Latin Music is Available Online Illegally

Everywhere you go these days people are pumping up the volume on free Latin music that they are downloading illegally from online file sharing sites such as Limewire.com or Napster. These free sharing sites are really just another name for illegal pirating and the people that are putting up these sites should be stopped and prosecuted in the opinion of many in the music and film business. A lot of time and money is spent to make the music that these artists and film makers create and for someone to just give it away randomly or steal it from the internet is completely wrong.

This is outright stealing and is covered under international piracy laws. You would not think of bringing your movie camera to your neighborhood multiplex and filming the latest release like “Avatar” or “Kick Ass” and then making thousands of bad quality copies and selling them on a street corner in Managua, would you? But that is precisely what you are doing when you download free Latin music or any form of music from the internet without the artists’ permission. It is hard enough for most musicians to make a buck these days without some goofball grabbing up his intellectual property without paying a dime.

If you think about it this form of piracy is just about being cheap. If someone wants free Latin music so badly why can’t they just sign up for an account with itunes.com like everyone else and pay a measly ninety nine cents per song, which is what most tunes cost these days. In some instances songs cost a bit more, but I have never seen them cost more than one dollar and twenty nine cents each. Don’t tell me you can’t afford ninety nine cents to pay the royalty rights to your favorite artists. And don’t even think about calling yourself a fan of these musicians or actors that you are stealing from. This is like some stranger coming up to you, picking your pocket and then telling you how much he loves your work. If you really love their work then pay for it like everyone else.

Free music and videos online are usually very poor quality anyway and you are never really getting the experience that the artist intended. I know a lot of people that tell me they don’t care if the camera is shaky or the film grainy or the sound quality muffled. These are the same people that eat fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner and drink Keystone Light while telling you how much they love it. No one loves Keystone Light. They buy it because it is dirt cheap. Any one that buys or drinks this stuff is a cheapskate and that goes double for people downloading supposedly free Latin music online. It is wrong, illegal, and unethical and you need to stop.

Music Business News

Those looking for the latest music business news may be confused by all of the information out there on the Internet, mostly because much of it is outdated. The business of selling music, concert tickets, and even movie or television soundtracks is not what it use to be. The days of playing your heart out in local clubs and traveling around to different states hoping to be 'discovered' are pretty much over. It still happens, but the industry has changed dramatically, thanks to the Internet.

If you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that the Internet has changed the industry of making and selling music. Most up-to-date music business news stories will tell you that thanks to downloading music to MP3 players and other digital gadgets, it is easier than every for consumers to find what they want and buy it. They don't have to drive to the music store and buy an entire album they are not sure they are going to like. They can buy single songs in digital form and own it within seconds. That has changed everything.

Because consumers are spending so much time and money buying music this way, fewer are buying CDs. You may think that this bit of music business news has nothing to do with those hoping to be signed by a record label, but that is not true. The Internet has changed that too. Though people still love to go out and see live music, those bands wanting exposure do not have to rely on that as much. They have the Internet as a way to reach out as well. Some succeed without a record company footing the bill for a tour.

How do they do this? That is what is making the latest music business news. Some bands are so crafty that they sell enough of their own songs that they really don't need the backing of a record company, though this is now the best way to get that very thing. If you can prove that you can sell so many songs on your own, a record company may pick you up and put you on a tour. They want to make money, and if they see you are already doing that, they may just want a piece of that money for themselves. The smartest bands are the ones that think twice about these arrangements if they are already doing fine on their own.

To find the latest music business news, search hard online. Even better, search out bands on MySpace and other music related sites and ask them how they are doing and what they have done to be successful online. There is no doubt about it, it still takes hard work to make it in the music industry, but today it takes a different type of work in a whole new direction. Things have changed, and they will continue to change. You just have

to find a way to keep up with the latest news. The Internet has changed most business sectors, and music is no exception.

Jazz Music Today

Jazz music has evolved to the point where basic signature of the style has minimized into an influential element. For example, the Jazz music of the 80's electronica music of IDM which stand for Intelligent Dance Music where such artists like Bjourk is known for. The drum and bass is another form of electronica that does not use the typical improvisation that is one of the key elements of Jazz music. In fact, this is not thought of as Jazz music at all, but a style that was influenced by Jazz music.

Musicians of the electronica age were St. Germain, Jazzanova, Portishead, Apex Twin and more who used live Jazz music to beats. The Cinematic Orchestra and Julien Lourau from Europe's France were very successful with this style of music. However, those musicians who master keeping the traditional Jazz music combined with new elements are the most loyal to the style from which it came. In the millennium, Jazz elements became a part of the American Pop scene with the artist Norah Jones, and Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse.

There are skeptics who do not believe the music should be called Jazz. However, Christina Aguilera's Back To Basics album used Jazz brass instruments with urban beats. Jazz music according to the National Public Radio filed a report stating that the music is becoming more popular with the public regarding the interest of the buyers of jazz music.

Rhythm and Blues music is a product of Jazz music that describes funk and soul. The musicians who successfully made their mark with this sound of jazz, boogie-woogie gospel, bebop and blues reinvented R&B into contemporary styles. Artist such as Robert Palmers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Prince, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Keith Sweat, Mariah Carey, En Vogue, Guy, Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, Levert, Teddy Riley, Justin Timberlake, Aaliyah, Missy Elliot, Lauren Hill, Brian McKnight, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis are a few of the many people who've made this music popular. Later on Pop artist like Pink, Britney Spears and Gwen Stephani used R&B musical elements in their songs. The wheel of the evolvement of Jazz music keeps turning into new styles, yet turns back at different times toward the root where it began.

Those who were in favor of the traditional Jazz music feared that the essence of Jazz music would be lost among all the new innovations. Free thinking in the world of Jazz caused a division between the modernist and traditionalist. The world of Jazz music has changed to the point where Jazz once the leader turned into an element included in today's works of art. Nevertheless, nothing in the traditional Jazz music has changed, but the radios have extended their repertoire to include all the styles of music with jazz elements.

The array of Jazz music is present in the Jazz fests who played music with African elements that did not sound like Jazz music. One thing we all should look out for is the musical elements in Jazz that stand out such as the complex rhythm, and the chromatic chordal harmony or chord progressions typical for the Jazz Music.