KEWU - OFF AIR 8/20/10 - ?

Due to a transmitter issue, KEWU will be off the air indefinitely. We apologize for any inconvenience and are doing our very best to correct the problem. 

Thank you for your patience.

KEWU Management

KEWU - NEW Website address

Eastern Washington University launched it's new website on Friday August 6th. For those of you who have the KEWU website bookmarked, you will need to refresh all of your bookmarks in order to access the station website and listening links. Please go to KEWU/Jazz 89.5 .  If you have any questions you can call the studio at 509-359-4226.

Passings: Martin Drew; Jazz Drummer - Oscar Peterson sideman

Martin Drew, a drummer who was a sideman with some of Oscar Peterson's groups has died due a heart attack at the age of 66. Read the New York Times obituary.

Big Sky Blues Festival - August 6 - 8, Noxon, MT

If you're looking for some great live blues this weekend, check out the Big Sky Blues Festival
Just a hop, skip and jump away from Spokane in Noxon, Montana. Featured performers include Spokane favorites Big Mumbo, Sammy Eubanks along with many others.

Programmers Pick - Spiral - Dave Wilson Quartet

Be sure to check out the All About Jazz review of "Spiral", the latest release from Tenor player Dave Wilson on Summit Records. The cd features Phil Markowitz on Piano, Tony Marino on Bass, and Adam Nussbaum on Drums.

Happy Birthday Herb Ellis !

Today, Jazz 89.5 is celebrating the birthday of guitar virtuoso Herb Ellis. He was a member of the Oscar Peterson Trio for 5 years during the 1950's. Ellis created the Great Guitars with fellow jazz guitarists Barney Kessel and Charlie Byrd. 

Herb Ellis passed way in March of this year at the age of 88. To learn more about Herb Ellis click here.

Passings - Dutch Composer, Bandleader Willem Breuker

European Jazzman Willem Breuker, the longtime leader of the Willem Breuker Kollektief, passed away in Amsterdam on July 23rd at the age of 65.  Read the New York Times obituary.

Jazz In The Valley - Ellensburg, WA July 31- August 1

The 12th Annual Jazz In The Valley Music Festival in beautiful downtown Ellensburg begins Thursday July 31st and concludes on Sunday August 1st. The festival consists of 3 days of music, food and fun. Some of the featured performers include Spokane's own Brent Edstrom Trio with Eugene Jablonsky and Rick Westrick; Too Slim and The Taildaraggers, Greta Matassa, Nancy King and many more. For more information, click on the Jazz in the Valley link.

56th Annual Newport Jazz Festival August 6th - 8th

George Wein's 56th Annual CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, RI begins Friday August 6th and wraps up Sunday August 8th. The amazing roster of performers includes Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal and Chick Corea. The festival is celebrating the 90th birthday of the Legendary Dave Brubeck who will be performing along with Wynton Marsalis. For  a full artist lineup, click the Newport Jazz Festival link above.

Veteran Bluesman Philip Walker has passed away

Veteran Texas/Gulf Coast Blues guitarist and vocalist Philip Walker passed away of heart failure on July 22nd. Read more at All About Jazz .


(Photo credit: Edward Brooks)

Programmers Pick - The Bob Mamet Trio

If you've been tuned in for the last couple of weeks, you've been hearing some great music from The Bob Mamet Trio. The trio consists of  Chicago native Bob Mamet on piano, veteran drummer, Joe LaBarbera and Darek Oles rounds things out on bass. Check out the review at All About Jazz.com

The 28th Annual Festival at Sandpoint August 5th -15th, 2010

The 28th annual Festival at Sandpoint Concert Series kicks off Thursday August 5th and runs through Sunday August 15th. Some of the headliners include Big Bad Voodoo Daddy who will start things off on Thursday August 5th, Keb Mo' August 7th and Michael Franti and Spearhead on August 13th. For a full listing of performers and ticket information click here.

Legendary Chicago Jazz broadcaster Dick Buckley passes way

Dick Buckley, the long time voice of Jazz in Chicago has passed away at the age of 85. Buckley had a 30 plus year tenure at the legendary WBEZ, which changed it's long time Jazz  format in 2007. Click here to learn more.

Food for Thought - The Color of Jazz Today

(Source:John Coltrane -The Official site)

Interesting Jazz Times article about the current lack of African American Jazz Artists, concert attendees and middle and high school students learning about the culture and performing the music.

Happy Birthday - Sonny Clark

Today, KEWU is celebrating the birthday of Hard Bop pianist Sonny Clark. Clark played with giants such as Trane, Dexter, Art Farmer and Donald Byrd. Clark did a brief stint in 1956 with Howard Rumsey's Light House All Stars, but soon returned to the East Coast.

He died of a heroin overdose in 1963. Learn more about this talented yet underexposed pianist here. (Source:The Hard Bop Homepage)

Passings - Paulo Moura Brazilian Instrumentalist, Composer and Arranger

The Grammy winning, Brazilian clarinetist Paula Moura has passed away at the age of 77. Read the New York Times obituary.

For more information check out the All About Jazz biography of this highly influential Brazilian artist.

Happy Birthday - Jack Teagarden

KEWU is celebrating the birthday of Weldon "Jack" Teagarden who was born on this day in 1905. Read more about this early, not so well known, but influential jazz trombonist here.

Programmers Pick - The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra with Jimmy Heath

Check out the review of The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra's "Endless Search" with Jimmy Heath... one of the most happening Big Band releases of the year on Seattle's own Origin Records. Be sure to tune into Jazz 89.5 to hear selections from this great release.
(Source: All About Jazz.com)

Happy Birthday - "Philly" Joe Jones!

Today we are celebrating the birthday of drummer "Philly" Joe Jones. Jones played with giants such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Art Pepper, Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Wes Montgomery, Tadd Dameron and many others. Read more about "Philly" Joe Jones here.

Happy Birthday - Johnny Hartman

 

Happy Birthday to vocalist Johnny Hartman! Read more about this Dizzy Gillespie Big Band Alumni at All About Jazz.com

Programmer's Pick - Azar Lawrence

Azar Lawrence is back and you can hear him on Jazz 89.5. Check out the stellar review of Azar's latest project, "Mystic Journey" at JazzTimes

Album sales drop, but digital sales take off.

Interesting article in Variety Magazine about music purchasing trends. 

The Blues Are Back!

Back by popular demand, KEWU is now playing the Blues on Friday Nights. 

Be sure to tune in on Friday evenings at 10pm  for 2 BIG HOURS of the Blues on KEWU!

Eicher and ECM win Down Beat poll for 3rd consecutive year.

For the third time in as many years, producer Manfred Eicher and ECM have been awarded Producer of the year and Label of the year by Downbeat Magazine. ECM is home to artists such as John Abercrombie, Geri Allen, Keith Jarrett, Chic Corea and Manu Katche. Listen to KEWU to hear selected cuts from the latest releases from Keith Jarrett (Jasmine) and Manu Katche (Third Round)

Happy Birthday - Ahmad Jamal!

Ahmad Jamal  is a virtuoso American jazz pianist, composer and arranger. He is one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. Born July 2, 1930 in Pittsburgh, PA, Jamal has been performing for over 50 years! Click here to learn more about Ahmad Jamal.

What is Jazz? - PopMatters

Check out this PopMatters article. Interesting thoughts on the state of Jazz and what Jazz is and isn't. (warning:explicit language)

Programmer's Pick - Curtis Fuller

Curtis Fuller's latest project "I Will Tell Her" on Capri Records is a love letter to his late wife, Cathy who passed away earlier this year. At 75, this former Jazz Messenger is still going strong. Read the review at All About Jazz to learn more.

Passings - Francis Dreyfus & Benny Powell

French Music Veteran Francis Dreyfus Dies at the age of 70. (source: Billboard)



Basie Band Alumni, trombonist Benny Powell has died at 80. (source:NPR Blog Supreme)

Happy Birthday - Reggie Workman

Reginald "Reggie" Workman was born June 26, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Workman is an American avant - garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey.He was a member of jazz groups led by Gigi Gryce, Roy Haynes, Wayne Shorter and Red Garland. In 1961, Workman joined the John Coltrane Quartet, replacing Steve Davis. He was present for the saxophonist's legendary Live at the Village Vanguard sessions, and also recorded with a second bassist (Art Davis) on the 1961 album, Olé Coltrane. After a European tour, Workman left Coltrane's group at the end of the year. Workman also played with James Moody, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Mann and Thelonious Monk. He has recorded with Archie Shepp, Lee Morgan and David Murray.

He is currently a professor at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York City.

Programmers Pick - Steve Davis - Images

Trombonist Steve Davis has released a beautiful new project with "Images -The Hartford Project" on Positone Records "Images" is a musical portrait of Davis' hometown of Hartford,CT. Listen for The Modernist, Kenney's and Club 808 on Jazz 89.5 and check out the review at All About Jazz

Programmers Pick - Vocalist/Pianist - Champian Fulton

There's new vocalist on the Jazz scene and she's one to keep an eye on! 24 year old Champian Fulton has just released "The Breeze and I" a collection of standards. Perhaps you've heard her interpretations of "Day In, Day Out" , "I'm Confessin" or "Say It Isn't So" over the past few weeks on Jazz 89.5. If not, then by all means keep listening!

Read a review of "The Breeze and I" at JazzReview.com

Happy Birthday! - Eric Reed

Happy 40th birthday to pianist Eric Reed! Check out his latest project with Cyrus Chestnut "Plenty Swing, Plenty Soul" on High Note Records and listen to it on Jazz 89.5!

Miles Davis' Bitches Brew - 40th Anniversary

Columbia/Legacy has announced that it will release two deluxe repackaged versions of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew in honor of the landmark album’s 40th anniversary this year. The re-release is scheduled for August 31st.

The Bitches Brew: 40th Anniversary Collector’s Edition box set will include three CDs — two CDs containing the original tracks and six bonus tracks, plus one CD of a previously unissued live performance by Davis with Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, Airto Moreira and Gary Bartz at Tanglewood in August 1970. Also included are a 48-page book (including an essay by author/producer Greg Tate), a 180g double-LP gatefold replication of the original album and a DVD of a previously unlreleased November 1969 performance by Davis’ quintet lineup of Wayne Shorter, Corea, Holland and DeJohnette in Copenhagen.

Happy Birthday Sammy Cahn and some guy named Paul McCartney.

What can possibly be said about this guy that hasn't already been said? Even though we all know he's not a Jazz artist, who knows exactly how many Beatles, McCartney, McCartney/Lennon tunes have been covered, arranged and rearranged again for the sake of Jazz.

Happy Birthday, Paul!

Don't discount the the musical contributions of this gentleman just because he happens to share a birthday with that other guy. Sammy Cahn was an amazing songwriter crafting such tunes as "Time after Time" and "I'll Walk Alone". Let's not forget his collaborations with Jules Styne and Jimmy Van Heusen. Check out his extensive biography at The Songwriter's Hall of Fame website.

Happy Birthday, Sammy!

Songwriter Birthdays June 17

Sammy Fain (1902-1989) - Music: Secret Love, That Old Feeling, I'll Be Seeing You, Happy In Love, You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me.







Gene De Paul (1919-1988) Music: Teach Me Tonight, You Don't Know What Love Is, Star Eyes, I'll Remember April, He's My Guy.

Steve Cardenas - Programmer's Pick

Guitarist Steve Cardenas is a new addition to the KEWU musical lineup. Perhaps you've heard "Burt", "West Of Middle" or "Backroad" the tracks currently being played on Jazz 89.5. Frontman Cardenas is joined by Ben Allison on bass and Rudy Royston on drums on this Sunnyside Records release. Check out the review at All About Jazz

Trumpeter Bill Dixon has passed away

Bill Dixon, the experimental jazz trumpeter and composer, died in his sleep last night at his home in North Bennington, Vt. He was 84 years old. Click here to read the full article.

Carol Morgan Trio - Programmer's Pick

Over the past few months on KEWU you've been hearing a new fresh voice on trumpet. That's Carol Morgan, the New York based, Julliard graduate who also has a steady gig with The Diva Jazz Orchestra. Morgan's latest project, "Opening" features Carol on trumpet, Harvie S. on bass and Richie De Rosa on drums.

Check out the review for "Opening" on Blue Bamboo Records.

Welcome!

This blog is a new feature brought to you by Jazz 89.5 in order to share the latest news and goings on at KEWU, in the Inland Northwest and in the world of Jazz.

Jazz News of The Day
The Jazz Journalist Association awards were presented in New York City today, click the link to find out who the 2010 winners are.