Are you a Jazz fan? One of my favorite music genres is Jazz. I recently learned that April is Jazz Appreciation Month so I would like to talk about what you can do today to celebrate it.
My family would always play music in the house and my mom and dad loved all of the best that music had to offer, from Benny Goodman, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Broadway show tunes and so much more. There was always a great tune playing in the house. So, at an early age (as early as I can recall – age 3) I was turned onto all the Jazz standards as well as good old rock and roll from my older siblings.
Jazz has such a long history and its roots toward today's music is astounding. Without Jazz, we probably wouldn't have more than half of the music we listen to today.
Set up in 2001, Jazz Appreciation Month a/k/a JAM was created to promote jazz both as a historical and contemporary art form.
Washington DC remains its main home with an extensive program of events, so if you live in that area, be sure to check out what's happening there. If not, I'm sure your town has something cool going on.
During JAM, schools, concert halls, and libraries are encouraged to host events to get local areas more interested. So pull out your local newspapers, go online and check it out.
I thank the universe every day that I was brought up in one of the greatest cities in the world, New York City, the big apple. New York City was the hub for the Jazz world. I found myself going to see some of the most amazing musicians perform live. Here are some of the best places to catch a live show:
Arthur's Tavern
55 Bar
Birdland
Blue Note
Bluewater Grill
Village Vanguard
Cleopatra's Needle
Dizzy's Club
Fat Cat
Fez Under the Time Cafe
Guggenheim Museum
Jazz Gallery
Iridium
Jazz Standard
Jules Bistro
Knickerbocker Salon
Metronome Jazz Lounge
Smalls Live
Smoke
Swing 49
Zinc Bar
What can you do to celebrate? Well, you can start by looking through yours or your families collection of CD's, vinyl records or and play some on your downtime or while you're working. If you don't own any, try to pick up some new ones. I'm listing below just a few of my faves(there are too many that I love to list). Maybe some of them are your favorites as well.
Here are a few of my favorite Jazz tunes:
Jazz for Peanuts - David Benoit
United We Swing: Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas
Wynton Marsalis Septet & Wynton Marsalis
Greatest Jazz Concert in the world
A Smooth Jazz Tribute to Earth Wind and Fire
The Very Best of Nat King Cole
The Best of Jazz Crusaders
Stompin’ at the Savoy – Benny Goodman
Brazilian Nights by Jack Jezzro
US3 Cantaloop 2004
David Benoit Collection
The Best of Dizzy Gillespie
And I'm in Love these vinyl record coasters
One last thing about Jazz -- it is a celebration of freedom so have a party with your friends and family, make it a “roaring 20's” theme and get your boogie shoes on and dance, baby, dance.
Jazz On & Jazz Out,
With Love,
Dawn-Marie
XO
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