A few months back, I visited my dear friend Jeffrey Scales at The New York Times and it hit me: this is the last year I can say I am in my 50s. It was an awaking moment for me. I have known Jeffrey since I was 19. Then this came out of my mouth:

“I will turn 60 this year and I never thought that my life would ever end. I always felt invincible, and I still feel invincible, but there will be an end. I intend to live the rest of my life as I have in the past – to its fullest – and live every day without fear. I will speak my mind and live like every day could be my last on this earth.”

Perez Presents Sunday Duo House Concert Series

Milestones Vocal Perez – Music -Miles Davis -Lyrics Giacomo Gates

I am a free spirit: a storyteller, a singer, a personal assistant, an art director, a brand manager, a graphic designer, a photographer, an event planner, a concert producer, an operations office manager. I have lived in two cities in the USA, and in three countries abroad. I have had a blessed life. It did start out rough, but it’s been an amazing journey. I have an amazing husband, an amazing job, and I work with super-talented musicians. I have a great close circle of friends – I feel blessed.

I also have begun a romance with the health club Equinox. I’ve been going almost every morning at 6:30am to work out. I can’t tell you all how wonderful this makes me feel as I sit at my desk working and trying to book gigs. It’s important to stay fit and, with hot yoga, alignment flow yoga, stretching classes at Equinox, it’s really helping. I have even invested in hiring a personal trainer! So far, turning 60 is a great thing for me.

1957 was a very good year. Besides my birth, in 1957 Frank Sinatra released-this amazing album.

WHERE ARE YOU -Arranger, Conductor: Nelson Riddle
“Where Are You?” (Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh) – 3:30
“The Night We Called It a Day” (Matt Dennis, Tom Adair) – 3:28
“I Cover the Waterfront” (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) – 2:58
“Maybe You’ll Be There” (Rube Bloom, Sammy Gallop) – 3:07
“Laura” (Johnny Mercer, David Raksin) – 3:28
“Lonely Town” (Leonard Bernstein, Betty Comden, Adolph Green) – 4:12
“Autumn Leaves” (Jacques Prévert, Mercer, Joseph Kosma) – 2:52
“I’m a Fool to Want You” (Frank Sinatra, Jack Wolf, Joel Herron) – 4:51
“I Think of You” (Jack Elliott, Don Marcotte) – 3:04
“Where Is the One?” (Alec Wilder, Edwin Finckel) – 3:13
“There’s No You” (Tom Adair, Hal Hopper) – 3:48
“Baby Won’t You Please Come Home” (Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams) – 3:00
CD re-release bonus tracks:
“I Can Read Between the Lines” (David Franklin, Ray Getzov) – 2:43
“It Worries Me” (Fritz Schultz-Reichelt, Carl Sigman) – 2:53
“Rain (Falling from the Skies)” (Robert Mellin, Gunther Finlay) – 3:25
“Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me” (Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler) – 3:08 Ted Koeh
Perez LA CAL. 1982

Other great albums released in 1957

Charles Mingus: Tijuana Moods
Art Blakey: Orgy In Rhythm
Yusef Lateef: Jazz Mood
John Coltrane: Blue Train
John Lewis: The John Lewis Piano
Milt Jackson: Soul Brothers
Miles Davis: Miles Ahead
Kenny Burrell: All Day Long
Ben Webster: Soulville
Sonny Rollins: Way Out West
Ben Webster: Tenor Giants

Perez Woodstock 1975

Perez LA CALIFORNIA

Amsterdam

Jazz artists born in 1957

Bobby Sanabria, drummer/percussionist, composer and producer,
Dave Stryker, guitarist
Eddie Allen, trumpeter and flugel horn player
Geri Allen, pianist and composer
PEREZ , singer- producer

Rare Vintage wines from 1957

Mr and Mrs Stegeman

As time goes by: laugh, love, always have a great work ethic, and be happy – life is a precious gift. Much love from me to you. Here is a powerful song that is ringing in my heart these next few weeks as I exit my 50s and enter my 60^th year on this great earth.

Rufus Wainwright – Who Knows Where The Time Goes?

From the Folk Awards 2016

Peace PEREZ

I have seen this lady several times and I attended her MASTER CLASS this weekend and was BLOWN AWAY.  Her charm, her wit – her sheer power and wisdom is endless.

This vocalist is an amazing spirit – I adore her -“I’m Still Here,” a proclamation of resilience by an indomitable show business trouper. Right now, no veteran cabaret performer has a stronger claim to ownership of this Sondheim classic from “Follies” than Marilyn Maye, who is 89 years young

Ms. Maye’s upbeat rendition embraced the believe-it-or-not attitude that made a line like “Lord knows, at least I’ve been there, and I’m here” ring with an amused befuddlement.

Her story is a chronicle of life on the road, going back to her childhood, when she sang on radio stations in Des Moines and Louisville, Ky. “I wasn’t meant for cooking and washing and subservience,” she said. Along the way, she had three marriages to men who, in her words, “drank a lot.”

Marilyn Maye was born on April 10, 1928 in Wichita, Kansas, USA as Marilyn Maye McLaughlin. She is an actress, known for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Mike Douglas Show and The Steve Allen Comedy Hour

She’s playing in NYC this week at the Metropolitan Room !

Wednesday June 14^th at 9pm 

Friday June 16 at 9 pm 

Saturday June 17^th at 7 pm 

At age 14, while attending Amos Hiatt Junior High School, she sang for songwriters Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and got her own 15-minute radio show on Des Moines station KRNT. Another source puts the 13-week show on Topeka station WIBW (580 AM), followed by a live broadcast from the Jayhawk Theater each Saturday morning for two years. She graduated from East High School. After moving to Chicago, she played “every Moose and Elks club in the state of Illinois”.

Moving to Kansas City, Missouri, she came to the attention of Steve Allen, who invited her to appear on his show; shortly thereafter, she signed a recording contract with RCA. She appeared on The Tonight Show a record 76 times, and received a 1966 nomination for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.  Aside from recordings and regular guest appearances on television, she worked the nightclub circuit (calling the venues “upholstered sewers”). As supper-club culture declined, she took roles in musical theater, including Can-Can, Mame and Hello, Dolly. Her career revived with a 2006 concert appearance at Lincoln Center‘s Rose Hall for the Mabel Mercer Foundation.

I love this lady – go go go – run see her when she’s playing near you – you will have a ball- Peace Perez

Hip cats,

WBGO presents:

The Art of Jazz: Performing Artists as Visual Artists

Join us at the gallery reception on Thursday, June 8, 6PM – 8PM at the WBGO Art Gallery. View the exhibit, meet the artists and enjoy a live performance. I am thrilled to have been invited to participate and amazed and honored that I am in such great company of artist.

This exhibit is curated by photographer Tony Graves and WBGO host Sheila Anderson. It includes paintings and photographs by jazz musicians, including:

• Tony Bennett
• Don Braden
• Will Calhoun
• Gerald Cannon
• Mino Cinnelu
• Honi Gordon
• Dick Griffon
• Olive Lake
• Peter Leitch
• Carmen Lundy
• Perez
• Bucky Pizzarelli
• Judy Silvano
• Sonelius Smith

This Gallery reception is sponsored by Wines of South Africa.

The WBGO Gallery is located at 54 Park Place in Newark, NJ. It’s free and open to the public. WBGO is a wheelchair accessible facility.

You can also visit the WBGO gallery during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM.

http://wbgo.org/wbgo-art-gallery

PEREZ bio

PEREZ reviews

Here is a sneak peek of Perez’s work:

Title: Intense Fragility images study 1 – photographed and printed by Perez

The evolution of radio has rapidly accelerated over the past decade. As 8-tracks, cassettes, and CDs have fallen away in society’s rearview, radio has persisted, migrating online in the form of podcasts, satellite radio, and FM station sites.

These new forms of radio are still growing. Radio has played a vital role in supporting artists and labels for years—but in a much smaller, much more tumultuous industry landscape, will the original sharing medium get left behind, or thrive in the digital age? think that it’s great that you can stream a record three million times on Spotify, and that you can get airplay on Pandora. But One Spin on WBGO and then you’ve got an audience !

Not that streaming music doesn’t help expose an artist, but can you name one artist that has broken from Spotify? What artists have they broken? They’re a great tool to discover, explore, and find things. But as much as people want to say radio is dead, you watch when the stations pick up a record. Not taking anything away from any of the streaming platforms or other ways to discover music, but radio still works- and I am sticking to it.

So if you’re not a member yet – please become a member of WBGO 88.3 FM

WBGO is a publicly-supported, cultural institution that champions jazz and presents news to a worldwide audience through radio, other technologies and events. Organizational values that guide WBGO in accomplishing its mission are: A belief in the vibrancy and continuance of jazz as a cultural art form Educational outreach is an important part of the station’s programming A diverse, open workplace that supports the development and enhancement of the staff’s talents and skills Listeners, members and the general public deserve to be treated with respect, quality service and information. I dig them , so listen in and enjoy .

Here is a second sneak peek of Perez’s work:

Title: Intense Fragility images study 2 – photographed and printed by Perez

Hope to see you at the opening !

PEACE PEREZ

Tessa Souter was born in London to a Trinidadian father and an English mother. She studied piano from the age of 8 until, at 12, her piano teacher heard her voice and encouraged her to take up singing. She learned guitar by ear to accompany herself and began writing songs. She graduated with a degree in English literature from London University and got her first job in journalism at Parents magazine, before going on to freelance as a features writer for, among other British press The Independent, The Times, Elle, Vogue, as well as Australian Elle, Sydney Morning Herald and HQ.

An interview for the UK’s Sunday Correspondent magazine with Lifetime Achievement for Services to Photography journalist Stefan Lorant led her to visit him in Massachusetts, and a trip to visit another friend in San Francisco turned into a four-year soujourn, where she worked as a house cleaner for two years while establishing herself as a freelance journalist for the UK, American, Australian, and Hong Kong press. In 1994, she was one of the original six members of the Writer’s Grotto, along with Po Bronson, Ethan Canin, Josh Kornbluth, Ethan Watters and David Munro.

She moved to New York in 1997 where she began sitting in on jam sessions around the city. Soon after, she won a scholarship to Manhattan School of Music, but dropped out after one semester to pursue her career and study privately with Mark Murphy who invited her to run his workshops in exchange for mentoring her. The Los Angeles Times calls her “one of the few exceptional standouts in the crowded field of female jazz singers.”

Souter has recorded and performed with many of the jazz world’s elite, including Steve Kuhn, Kenny Werner, Joel Frahm, Joe Locke, Billy Drummond, Lew Soloff, Romero Lubambo, Charnett Moffett (she is featured on his Spirit of Sound album and has appeared with him at the Jazz Standard), Alan Broadbent, Francois Moutin, Alec Dankworth, Nikki Iles, Jim Hart, Lynne Arriale and Howard Johnson -fantastic folks to be around!

on Tuesday March 7, Tessa will be singing here in NYC – at 7:30 you can go and hear her at Dizzies

and here is her site – http://tessasouter.com/

Peace Perez

Sunday April 9^th from New Orleans Cindy Scott Guitarist Brian Seeger.

“There is so much craft, creativity and love packed into this one disc! The song with the choir is gorgeous, I love your originals, the tunes with Karrin Allyson are smoking, and you sing with passion and connection throughout!
–Kate McGarry GRAMMY Nominee

Sunday May 7^th ‘Gabrielle Stravelli Trio – http://www.gabriellestravelli.com/

Listening to the jazz singer Gabrielle Stravelli is like imbibing a potent cocktail whose flavor changes as you drain the glass. In the first couple of sips, the predominant taste is the sparkling wine that has drifted to the top, for Ms. Stravelli’s bright, rippling voice exudes a natural effervescence. Before long, it darkens, and the heady liquor underneath kicks in… As she dipped and swooped, twirling notes and phrases with a confidence and playfulness that recalled Ella Fitzgerald in her prime, Ms. Stravelli began interpreting lyrics with a ferocity that her vocal pyrotechnics accentuated”
-Stephen Holden, the New York Times

Sunday June 4^th Perez Art Hirahara

“Perez sings Nina Simone- Nina and Me” www.hipchickalert.com Perez is the new voice of this bunch, in spite of the fact she has been actively performing as vocalist for several years. Perez (now the single moniker) Perez’s voice is a humidly sensual work of art: a perfectly formed alto with a solid bottom, a broad midrange of consistent density, and a confident top. This voice permits Perez to sing whatever she damn well pleases…and to sing it well. ALL ABOUT JAZZ – PEREZ By C. MICHAEL BAILEY

Sunday June 18^th Jed Levy

http://www.jedlevy.com/ “…the task that tenor saxophonist Jed Levy has set for himself in his explorations of a piece of the Evans digest using his tenor trio is a daunting one. Levy succeeds remarkably well through his own impressionistic gentle touch…” ALL ABOUT JAZZ

Sunday July 16^th Christine Tobin Guitarist Phil Robson

http://www.christine-tobin.com/ “Tobin’s vocals, veering from acrobatic to sultry, are tailored perfectly for the material, her evocations of time and place precise. Classy and lovely.”The Observer

Season Finale Sunday October 8, Sheila Jordan, NEA JAZZ MASTER: Cameron Brown 

http://www.sheilajordanjazz.com/
PURE ART – PEREZ

Please remember – eats by Perez at 2PM – music at 3 pm – suggested donation $20 we must pay the artist and please BYOB:
Bring your own wine – there will sun tea available

E mail perezjazzmusic@hotmail.com for seats and address to the events – many thanks – music heals – jazz is Americas gift to the world- Peace – Perez

APAP is the members conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters and the world’s premiere gathering of performing arts professionals. Find out more about becoming an APAP member.

KID YOU NOT – more than 3,600 presenting organizations, artists, managers, agents, support organizations, vendors, consultants, speakers and arts leaders from all 50 U.S. states and more than 33 countries attend. It takes months for artists, managers, agents to prepare for this event – All this January 6^th through 10^th –at the Hilton Hotel and at official selected venues around NYC-– I have been attending for years -I always learn something new – make new connections and hear and see fantastic musical moments.

There are 2 stalls I go to yearly Gail Boyd stall and Patti Harris stall

Well these power women did it again and can we talk about the British invasion– that was consistent theme for me on these days-

One artist that Patti Harris showcased as part of the British invasion was Anita Wardell  http://www.anitawardell.com/ an award-winning vocalist, lyricist and top musician.  Anita is also praised for her writing talent. Writing lyrics to famous solos – here her Noted CD – The room was filled on Sunday night at 10 pm for this gem and there is a buzz around the NYC scene about this talent Anita Wardell musicians around town are raving about Anita- When she sang In My Solitude – you felt every note – her voice impressively beautiful- it was breath taking- heartfelt- full of soul and her musician ship shined like a diamond- other vocal artist in the room Tessa Souter http://tessasouter.com/   Kate Baker http://www.katebakerjazz.com/  and Gabrielle Stravelli http://www.gabriellestravelli.com/ just to name a few ; – )

Here is a sample of Anita singing her lyrics to a Pat Metheny composition Travels:

If you missed her and yes booking agents she has a visa can work all over the globe.

Anita will appear Friday February 17 at 7 pm at St Peters Church NYC for the Jon Hendricks’ complete vocal Miles Ahead project -It will be performed by the London Vocal Project with Pete Churchill (director)

Michele Hendricks, Kevin Burke Anita Wardell (vocal soloists) -The 95 years young Hendricks will be at the premiere. http://www.londonjazznews.com/2017/01/news-london-vocal-project-to-perform.html?m=1

the British Invasion continued when I dropped in on Gail Boyds http://www.gailboyd.com/  stall, and saw Christine Tobin http://www.christine-tobin.com/ with Gary Versace – accordion/piano, Phil Robson – guitar, & Joseph Lepore –

Phenomenal singer, and she packed the room as well- Christine Tobin has an affinity with poets. Irish singer and composer has previously cut inspired albums of Leonard Cohen covers (A Thousand Kisses Deep and WB Yeats poems (Sailing to Byzantium) . Here she brings her rich voice and idiosyncratic arrangements to the work of the poet Paul Muldoon. The moods and styles are varied. Zoological Positivism Blues and Longbones hit wonky, Waitsian grooves animated by the guitar squalls of Phil Robson, Promises Promises is languid and plaintive, and Horses sparse and dreamy. Tobin’s vocals, veering from acrobatic to sultry, are tailored perfectly for the material, her evocations of time and place precise. Classy and lovely.

The British Invasion continued when Gail also showcased the wonderful Barb Jungr – http://www.barbjungr.co.uk at the  Yamaha Showroom.

Barb’s acclaimed show and album “Hard Rain: Songs of Dylan and Cohen” is more resonant now than ever – I adore this lady and you can book her here:  http://www.daxmgmt.com/   FB:  DAX MGMT.

Polly Gibbons, http://www.pollygibbons.com/

a British singer of blues pop -soul. She has a scratchy blues sound that embodies her journey- she has a terrific pianist-arranger, James Pearson who I had the pleasure of sitting in with last year at Ronnie Scotts in the UK.

Patti also showcased:

Matt Baker  http://www.mattbaker.com.au/#home-top

Brianna Thomashttp://www.briannathomas.com/

Allan Harris  http://www.allanharris.com

I can’t tell you how much talent these folks have

SO thrilled that I ran into super talented jazz singer Nancy Harms  http://www.nancyharms.com/

It’s a world wind of activity – APAP where you see new talent- make connections and keep the arts alive – please book these talents and more –  I’ll leave you with images from around this great event –

Japan Society Contemporary Dance

Other official APAP events around the town:

APAP|NYC 2017 Showcase – Etienne Charles at Ginny’s Supper Club

Regina Carter at Jazz Standard — with Regina Carter.

Confucius at Lincoln Center

PEACE PEREZ

2016, another year filled with amazing music-– art- and the 2016 debates – as the year comes to a close HIPCHICK ALERT puts the spotlight on fantastic moments to come in January and the TOP 10 CDS OF 2016’

Moments to come in JANUARY:

Gabrielle Stravelli has a new cd Dream Ago releasing in January –– she’s amazing vocal artist – here’s her web page: www.gabriellestravelli.com Gabrielle Stravelli…has the whole package: a fantastic instrument, great time, superb musicianship, perfect diction and more importantly, she sings everything with a true depth of feeling…Singing in front of a fantastic and swinging band, Gabrielle proves on “Dream Ago” that she is one of the top vocalists on the music scene today.” – Fred Hersch, 9-time Grammy nominated pianist and composer.

Art Hirahara has a new cd coming out in January Central line.  Pianist Art Hirahara makes bold and personal statements while taking us along for the ride on a journey of self-exploration. “Central Line” is the sincere demonstration of a forward-minded artist seeking to discover the inner continuity of his life, and to pay respect and homage to the music of his family, ancestors and homeland. Hirahara utilizes his visionary talents as a bandleader and musician to uncover the hidden possibilities latent in the compositions.

 film by Sara Pettinella

He also makes a bold and original statement while ultimately remaining true to himself. With an amazing combination of talents and hard swinging highlights by bassist Linda Oh, drummer Rudy Royston and special guest Donny McCaslin on a few selections, and an evocative program of music, Hirahara’s “Central Line“ is elegantly lyrical and clearly suggestive of a modern jazz sensibility that is sure to bring bright moments of intense delight to jazz fans everywhere. Love this hip cat- he’s a stunning musician. Lets get him on the road with this project.

Thirdly in January its APAP

APAP is the national service, advocacy and membership organization for the performing arts presenting industry and the convener of APAP|NYC, the world’s leading gathering of performing arts professionals, held every January in New York City.The exhibitors ( will be at the Hilton Hotel ) plan for months as do the managers who select who will appear at the event – kudos to them – I go every year love to hear the talent – this year I am covering it for Hip Chick Alert – I will hear some great music and make some new connections – here are 2 showcases at APAP that I am looking forward to –

Anita Wardell
APAP 2017 SHOWCASE JANUARY 8 SET TIME 10 PM
NY Hilton, 1335 Avenue of the Americas
4th floor, THE NEW YORK SUITE
GREEN ROOM: HUDSON SUITE
hosted by Pat Timura Harris- Love Productions Records, and Allan Harris

Christine Tobin
APAP 2017 SHOWCASE JANUARY 8 SET TIME 3:30pm
NY Hilton, 1335 Avenue of the Americas
REGENT PARLOR, SECOND FLOOR
HOSTED BY GAIL BOYD MANAGEMENT

Now my picks for the top 10- cds 2016

René Marie, the “outrageous” (Wall Street Journal) vocalist has taken the recording process one giant step further with the release of her most personal album on May 13. As the follow-up to 2013’s Grammy award-nominated album I Wanna Be Evil (With Love to Eartha Kitt), ‘Sound of Red’ is her first album of all-original songs written and co-produced by the contemporary jazz chanteuse herself. It’s been a “remarkable path to jazz” (NPR) for René. As a fearless force in the contemporary jazz world, René has never been afraid to look into the more challenging places of human experience where love and contentment give way to discord and struggle. I ADORE THIS TALENTED LADY!

‘Sound of Red’ is a musical statement that according to René, “attempts to cover the spectrum of human emotion.” The album’s 11 songs – most of them autobiographical – provide glimpses of the many small but profound turning points that are a part of an individual’s life. LOVE HER – LOVE THIS!

I listened to Bowie’s astonishing 25th studio album Blackstar SO MANY TIMES -.when Bowie suddenly died and we were all were forced to re-examine/re-think the album. Bowie is s visionary – throughout the years I have loved him as an artist.

Love and I miss this one.

3. Madeleine Peyroux’s Secular Hymns comes twenty years after her debut release, Dreamland (Atlantic, 1996), which catapulted her into the public eye and garnered heaps of praise. Since then her voice has often been compared to mid-career Billie Holiday, and that comparison remains valid on Secular Hymns.

Some singers would find that a millstone around their neck, but Peyroux continues to wear it well. It is surprising that, two decades since Dreamland, this is only her seventh solo album release. Those albums have never settled into a predictable pattern—for instance, some have contained mainly Peyroux originals, others few or none at all—but her name long ago became a guarantee of high quality music. Madeleine Peyroux: vocals, guitar: I dig her – enjoy this treat.

Evolution is Smith’s first album for Blue Note in forty-five years, and it’s a real humdinger. Everything we’ve come to expect from him, included the unexpected, is here. The album is populated with raunchy riffs, greasy grooves, soulful sermons, tidal organ shifts, moody statements, hard-hitting solos, and punchy interjections, all of which help to enliven throwback songs, standards, and new pieces alike. This is past, present, and future Smith rolled into one.  FANTASTIC- LISTEN- DIG HIM – I DO !

The Essentials is a compilation album of Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox’s greatest hits spanning their entire career. The tracks on this album have over a combined 146 million views on YouTube. Artists featured on the album include Haley Reinhart, Kate Davis, Casey Abrams, Morgan James, Robyn Adele Anderson and many more. – I love Post Modern Jukebox!  They always put me in the BEST mood!

Swedish trombone player Nils Landgren turned 60 on February 15, 2016, and he marks this special year with a tribute album to the music of Leonard Bernstein. Landgren has brought together a formidable band to do justice to the music of Bernstein, a composer, he says, whose “music is unique, the way he writes is distinctive, emotional and always so human”.

An enjoyable album. Hot on the heels of his guest appearance on Mo’ Blow’s funky Live In Berlin (ACT Music, 2016), trombonist and singer Nils Landgren moves over to Broadway with Some Other Time. As the sub-title makes clear, this is A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein—a worthy and at times achingly beautiful tribute, too. Landgren is joined by The Manhattan Transfer vocalist Janis Siegel and by the excellent rhythm section of Jan Lundgren on piano, Dieter Ilg on bass and Wolfgang Haffner on drums. The Bochum Symphoniker, conducted by arranger Vince Mendoza, joins in on a few tracks including “Overture: America” a 42-second introduction that gives the erroneous impression that this album will solely focus on West Side Story- hip cat? Yes I think so!

The album opens on a Rollins concert staple—Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood,” recorded in 2007 at the Barbican in London. Halfway through this enthusiastic five-minute performance, Rollins jettisons the band and proceeds to rhapsodize on the form and theme(s), zigging where you expect him to zag and ornamenting the familiar melodic strains in inimitable fashion. jazz master in the house!

It’s a song he’s probably played a thousand times, but that doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm or stunt his originality one bit – love this master and adore this cd-

Hersch says this is his best trio album. Almost every artist says that about their latest—that this one’s the best. But he might be right. The vote here would have gone to a studio recording, Whirl (Palmetto Records, 2010), a marvelous in-the-zone effort with this same trio—John Hebert on bass, Eric McPherson playing drums—until Sunday Night At The Vanguard rolled around.

As the grandson of legendary Dixieland trumpeter Doc Cheatham, it was natural for Oberlin Conservatory graduate Theo Croker to pick up the horn in kind. However, what this young man has created on Escape Velocity goes far beyond his Big Easy pedigree as he and his group DVRK FUNK, comprised of reedist Anthony Ware, pianist Michael King, guitarist Ben Eunson, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer Kassa Overall, explore a middle ground between electronic and acoustic jazz that is equal parts Mac Rebennack and Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack.” This is headphone bop of the highest order. Hes a local cat and fun recording – enjoy

Chicago vocalist Alyssa Allgood devotes her first full length album to an unexpected source: the classic hard bop repertoire of Blue Note Records. The label is mainly known for instrumental jazz, and all of these selections were originally instrumental. This presents no problem for Allgood, who demonstrates equal facility scatting, singing wordless vocalise, and writing lyrics (which she does on four tracks). She has a crack band, too: organist Dan Chase, guitarist Tim Fitzgerald, saxophonist Chris Madsen and drummer Matt Plaskota provide all the swing and blues flavor the material calls for. Here is her site:  http://www.alyssaallgood.com/

That’s it for 2016 – Peace and thank you for visiting HIPCHICKALERT – please be kind to all in your path – happy holidays and see you in 2017

PEACE PEREZ

Hip Chick Alert puts the spotlight on America-
Ok America has chosen Trump to lead this country –
What do you tell the children of America?
Its ok to bully-it ok to be a bigot – its ok not to pay taxes – its ok not to be prepared –its ok to file for bankruptcy multiple times-  its ok to pose nude ok grab someone in their most personal parts- no need to serve in the military.

Yes- America what will you tell your children.

Like many Americans I have a deep saddness I can not shake since Tuesday.

Please keep faith  -We need to be vigilant about a lot in the coming days and be ready to protect:

• National parks & wilderness areas

• Free speech (1st Amendment)

• Safety of Jews, and all immigrants, LGBTQ safety & rights and people of color

• Women Rights

From Vanity Fair:

Read the Letter Aaron Sorkin Wrote His Daughter After Donald Trump Was Elected President:

No matter how the rest of the world looked at us on Nov. 7, they will look at us differently now.

SONGS TO HELP US – music heals

Simon and Garfunkel – American Tune (Live)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_rq7Z18_mg

Art Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water (with lyrics)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho92k2CKNh0

K.D. Lang sings Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah

David Bowie – This is Not America

Bill Evans “Peace Piece”

America Simon & Garfunkel –

please REACH OUT TO ME – OR POST SONGS BELOW THAT YOU THINK ARE FITTING FOR THESE TIMES- –

I am working with a great singer in NYC to get a gig on FRIDAY JANUARY 20^TH THE DAY HE ENTERS the White house – SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SONGS OF LOVE to get us through the night

PEACE PEREZ

Michelle is a jazz musician whose chosen instrument is Voice.

Known for her ability to get right to the heart of a song, as well as being an in-the-moment improviser, Michelle has continually developed and nurtured her art form with the help of her quartet. As well as releasing 6 CDs, the MNQuartet has toured extensively throughout Australia and internationally –

Arranger, band leader and award-winning jazz vocalist Michelle Nicolle started her musical career when she began the violin at the age of eight in the Barossa Valley, South Australia in the 1970s. Based in Melbourne, she is now celebrated as Australia’s finest jazz singer.

Leading her band with a quiet dignity, Nicolle’s apparent ease at clever, difficult, and varied improvisation, bring to mind the skills of singers like Betty Carter, Mel Torme or Ella Fitzgerald. But this exceptionally talented woman sounds like none of those singers. What she does hold in common is being true to her artistic self, having an incredible ‘ear’ as well as being a serious jazz musician and lyricist. Her clear tone and impressive breath control indicate hard work and dedication to her art form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYHuufnjek8

If you’re in London this WEDNESDAY 19th October at the Spice of Life, Soho:

MICHELLE NICOLLE + special guests Trudy Kerr & Anita Wardell –

TICKETS HERE

From broadwayworld.com: