Boyd Campbell playing at
the BrewPub in Montgomery, Alabama
Alabama Jazz & Blues Federation
Bruce 'Sunpie' Barnes With Louisiana Creole -- "A real favorite around these parts is Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes out of the Big Easy. He brings absolutely fabulous entertainment. If you ain't dancin' by the second number these cats lay on you, then you ain't vertical. They played the Sounds of Summer outdoor music series at Kiwanis Park in Montgomery on June 17, 2001, and laid it all on us. His zydeco and creole numbers are the very best. Sunpie has been coming to Montgomery to make music and thoroughly entertain everybody who hears them for almost 20 years. For more information about Sunpie or to book him, click on the link. If you read French, here's a Canadian music review of Sunpie: CLICK HERE"
Jazz and Blues Clubs
Birmingham, Alabama
Blue Monkey
Lounge, 1318 Cobb Lane, (205) 933-9222
Courtyard 280 Oyster Bar and Grill,
4618 Highway 280, (205) 980-9891
Iron
Horse Cafe, 1694 Montgomery Highway, (205) 978-5599
J Clyde, 1312 Cobb Lane, (205) 939-1312
Marty's, 1813 10th Court South, (205)
939-0045
Metro Bistro, 2125
Second Avenue North, (205) 323-7995
The Nick, 2514 10th Avenue South, (205)
252-3831
The Oasis, 2807 Seventh
Avenue South, (205) 323-5538
Ona's
Music Room, Pepper Place, 2801 Second Avenue South, (205) 320-7006
Otey's Tavern, 224 Country Club Park,
(205) 871-8435
Superior
Grill, 4701 Highway 280, (205) 991-5112
Zydeco, 2001 15th Avenue South,
(205) 933-1032
Mobile,
Alabama
Blues
Tavern, 2818 Government Boulevard, (251)
479-7621
Montgomery,
Alabama
1048 Jazz & Blues, 1104 East Fairview
Avenue, (334) 834-1048
Capitol Oyster Bar, 115 East South
Boulevard, (334) 288-4217
Chicago, Illinois
Andy's
Jazz Club, 11 East Hubbard, (312) 642-6805
House
of Blues, 329 North Dearborn, (312) 527-2583
HotHouse, 31 East Balbo Street, (312)
362-9707
Jazz
Showcase, 59 West Grand Avenue, (312)
670-2473
Pops for Champagne,
2934 North Sheffield, (773) 471-2000
The
Green Mill, 4802 North Broadway, (773)
878-5552
The
Velvet Lounge,
2128 1/2 South Indiana, (312) 791-9050
Miami,
Florida
Bamboo
Room, 25 South
"J" Street, Lake Worth, (561) 585-2583
Tobacco
Road, 626 South Miami Avenue, (305)
374-1198
New
Orleans,
Louisiana
House
of Blues, 225 Decatur Street, (504) 529-2583
Palm
Court Jazz Cafe, 1204 Decatur Street, (504) 525-0299
Snug
Harbor, 626 Frenchman Street, (504) 949-0696
New
York, New York
Blue
Note, 131 West Third Street at East Sixth Avenue, (212) 475-8592
Indigo Blues, 221 West 46th Street, (212)
221-0033
Iridium
Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway (at 51st St.), (212) 582-2121
Village
Vanguard, 178 Seventh Avenue South at 11th
Street, (212) 255-4037
Perdido
Key,
Florida
Flora-Bama Lounge Package Oyster Bar, 17401
Perdido Key Drive, Pensacola, on the Florida-Alabama state line, (251) 980-5118
or (850) 492-0611
Carrier, Roy, & The Night Rockers
Florida Jazz Festival -- "The first annual Florida Jazz Festival to benefit the Seaside Institute kicked off April 19-21, 2002, at the Seaside, Florida, Lyceum, on the Gulf Coast. Artists included Ellis Marsallis, Jr., and the Ellis Marsalis Trio, the Caribbean Jazz Project, the Tony Trischka Band, Astral Project, Eric Essix, Los Hombres Calientes, Al Jarreau, the Dirty Dozen Band, the Geoff Green Trio, the Bill Anschell Trio, the Dave Holland Quintet, the Ken Watters Group, the Nicholas Payton Quintet, Diana Reeves, and the Ellis Marsalis Quintet. For ticket information, or to learn about future events, visit the website or call the Seaside Institute at (850) 231-2421."
Jazz at Lincoln Center -- JazzRadio.Org
Jazz Listings: OffBeat Magazine
Louisiana Music Archive & Artist Directory -
Machito
-- "Born Frank Raul Grillo on February 16, 1912, in Tampa, Florida, "Machito"
was raised in Cuba and became a singer and maracas player, working with
some of the best-known bands on the island. He arrived in New York
City in the late 1930s and became well known in various Latin dance bands.
In 1941, he formed his own band, the Afro-Cubans, and the following year
his brother, Mario Bauza, who had been playing with Chick Webb, joined
him. Under Bauza's watchful eye, the Afro-Cubans became one of the
leading Latin dance bands.
"In
the late 1940s and throughout the '50s, Machito's band regularly teamed
up with leading jazz musicians -- especially beboppers -- for recording
sessions, some of the earliest of which were produced by Norman Granz,
who died in New York on November 22, 2001. The artists who recorded
with Machito included Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gilespie, Jo "Flip" Phillips,
Buddy Rich, and Howard McGhee. His music appealed to Stan Kenton,
who credited Machito with prompting him to pursue a long-lasting love affair
with Latin rhythms.
MaxxBrass -- Although there has been no military band on base since 1991, Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, has a long history of music going back to the Glenn Miller band of the WWII era. In recent years, ensembles have been formed from military members (active and retired) and civilian employees, augmented by local musicians. MaxxBrass carries on this tradition in coordination with the Band of the Air Force Reserve, the Air National Guard Band and other military and civic music groups. The MaxxBrass repertoire includes classical, popular, patriotic, and military pieces, as well as Dixieland, swing, Hispanic, popular and jazz. To book this band for a gig, contact the Business Manager.
Robert Moore & the Wildcats -- I have followed Robert Moore's career for many years. He is a triple threat -- a great jazz trumpet and blues harp player and scat jazz singer. He hung out in Birmingham for awhile, but now you can track his exploits by checking out the club scene on the Jazz Society of Oregon's home page. He moved to Portland. -- Jazz Society of Oregon
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival -- "This is the website of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, Inc., which is responsible for putting on the annual festival each spring. Lots of things to see here. Nice music, too."
Stallings, Mark, and the Famous Unknowns
Stitt,
Sonny -- Born: Edward Stitt, February 2, 1924,
Boston; Died: July 22, 1982. Sonny Stitt is my all-time favorite
sax player. Stitt did it all -- blues, swing, jazz, beebop, freeform,
acid -- you name it. The only sax player alive today who carries
the mantle is another Sonny: Sonny Rollins. But keep an eye
out for Kenny Garrett. Stitt and Rollins played duets with Dizzy
Gillespie on a CD ("Dizzy Gillespie Duets") released on July 25, 1988.
If you can find the CD, buy it. It is one of the best I have ever
heard. Click on the above link to read Dave Loennig's comments.
Dave's web page will take you to several web pages about Sonny, and you
can find out why the late Sonny Stitt hasn't gotten his due in the jazz
world. I found Stitt's first CD, "Sonny Stitt," which was reissued
by MCA. They think it was recorded in Chicago in 1958 when Stitt
was 34. It is blazin'. Following is a short bio from the AllMusic
guide at
allmusic.com, with credit
to the authors:"
Review: "Charlie Parker has had
many admirers and his influence can be detected in numerous styles, but few have
been as avid a disciple as Sonny Sitt. There was almost note-for-note
imitation in several early Stitt solos, and the closeness remained until Stitt
began de-emphasizing the alto in favor of the tenor, on which he artfully
combined the influences of Parker and Lester Young. Stitt gradually
developed his own sound and style, though he was never far from Parker on any
alto solo. A wonderful blues and ballad player whose approach was one of
the influences on John Coltrane, Stitt could rip through an uptempo bebop
stanza, then turn around and play a shivering, captivating ballad. He was
an alto saxophonist in Tiny Bradshaw's band during the early '40s, then joined
Billy Eckstine's seminal big band in 1945, playing alongside other emerging
bebop stars like Gene Ammons and Dexter Gordon.
"Stitt
later played in Dizzy Gillespie's big band and sextet. He began on
tenor and baritone in 1949, and at times was in a two-tenor unit with Ammons.
He recorded with Bud Powell and J.J. Johnson for Prestige in 1949, then
did several albums on Prestige, Argo and Verve in the '50s and '60s.
Stitt led many combos in the '50s, and rejoined Gillespie for a short period
in the late '50s. After a brief stint with Miles Davis in 1960, he
reunited with Ammons and for a while was in a three-tenor lineup with James
Moody. During the '60s, Stitt also recorded for Atlantic, cutting
the transcendent 'Stitt Plays Bird' that finally addressed the 'Parker'
question in epic fashion. He continued heading bands, though he joined
The Giants of Jazz in the early '70s. This group included Gillespie,
Art Blakey, Kai Winding, Thelonious Monk, and Al McKibbon. Stitt
did more sessions in the '70s for Cobblestone, Muse and others, among them
another definitive date, 'Tune Up'. He continued playing and recording
in the early '80s, recording for Muse, Sonet and Who's Who In Jazz.
He suffered a heart attack and died in 1982." — Ron Wynn and
Bob Porter
T
Tapestry -- "This is Tom Sellers's jazz trio. Tom and I roomed at the same dormitory at the University of Alabama back in 1973-74. Backed up by Sam Williams on tenor sax, and Dr. Dan Cunningham on guitar, the boys play at the Savannah Cafe in Montgomery (see club listings above), usually Friday or Saturday. Call Tom to book the trio at (334) 271-0566."
3-D Band -- "Cody Stough tells me that this is the best cover band around these parts. It features bassist David Stough, drummer John Sandy, and guitarist David Williams, and vocalist David Pace. You can check the band out on Friday or Saturday nights at the Western Club on the Birmingham Highway in Montgomery. They perform a variety of tunes, from country to blues. Stough, Sandy, and Williams are all studio musicians. Go listen to some live music!"
Turnipseed Music -- "This is an independent, New Orleans-based record label. You can find good links to new releases and check out the weather in the Big Easy."
U V
Ugli Stick, The -- "This Mobile band coagulated in March, 2000. Personnel include Eric Erdman on acoustic and electric guitars, Tim Stanton on drums, Brian Graves on bass, and Dale Drinkard on guitar. The band has incorporated a funk-hip-hop sound and has a mighty nice website. Pay the website a visit and listen to some MP3s, or book 'em for a gig by sending an e-mail: CLICK HERE."
Vaughan, Stevie Ray, and Double Trouble -- "Stevie Ray Vaughan is one of the greatest electric blues guitar players who ever lived. He died tragically at the age of 35 on August 27, 1990. His vocal renditions of 'Cold Shot' and 'Pride and Joy' will be long remembered. I caught kind of a reunion thing at public television on September 2, 2001, with Jimmy Vaughan, Johnny Lang, and Susan Tedeschi. I don't care for Jimmy Vaughn or Johnny Lang, but Susan Tedeschi was just great. What a voice! She did two numbers on Austin City Limits and left me wanting a lot more. Unfortunately, her own band isn't that good. See the link above for Roomful of Blues, and go to the official website of Double Trouble to read more."
Velcro Pygmies, The -- "This is an Auburn show band that has entertained folks all over the Southeast for many years. If you've never seen or heard The Velcro Pygmies, you have really missed something. They gig pretty regularly at Celebrations in Montgomery. Some of their bits are hilarious. Personnel include Cam Flener, Blake Baumeier, Chris Eddins, and Troy Rebert. Even Cher doesn't have as many costume changes as this band has during one show. Check out their excellent website."
W
Woodpeckers, The -- "This band plays around the Montgomery area, and features Scott Compton on guitar and Ben Hagler on drums. Don't have names of other personnel. I know they've played at 1048 Jazz & Blues in Montgomery and elsewhere. Somebody please e-mail more details, please. CLICK HERE"
XYZ
XS Groove
Zig and the Zigtones -- "Haven't played with this band yet, although I have received an open invitation from Ziggy Luis. The band has a brutal regional tour schedule. And they get regular gigs in Montgomery at Gator's Blues Bayou, and 1048. Zig does an acoustic duo gig at Bud's. E-mail Zig: CLICK HERE"
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