News

Riffs: Music News from Out and About

By Patricia Myers

The fall season concert by the long-acclaimed Young Sounds of Arizona on Tuesday Nov. 24 at Mesa Community College will be an appealing and exciting program performed by in two ensembles and a quintet comprised of talented teenage jazz musicians from metro-Phoenix high schools.

Review: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

By Patricia Myers

A sophisticated and engaging performance by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis was a meld of the trumpeter-leader’s ongoing homage to jazz history with the spark of original compositions from his current colleagues in a Sept. 25 concert at the Mesa Arts Center.

Riffs: Music News from Out & About

By Patricia Myers

Seven acclaimed post-graduate jazz musicians from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance/UCLA Herb Alpert School will visit six underserved central-city high schools in Phoenix Oct. 19-21.

Riffs: Music news from out and about

By Patricia Myers

“The Season” is upon us once again, and the major music venues have announced their fall-winter season bookings of top-name artists starting this month. The most notable is Wynton Marsalis, who will lead and perform in the trumpet section of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Mesa Arts Center on Sept. 25-26; info at MesaArtsCenter.com.

Riffs: Music News from Out and About

By Patricia Myers

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts has launched “Live & Local Fridays” for a 6 pm happy hour and 8 pm concert ($10 admission) that lists July 10, Dry River Yacht Club (acoustic rock ’n’ roll, world gypsy); July 17, Linda, Carmela and Phases (R&B, jazz, fusion); July 24, The Sugar Thieves (blues); July 31, Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls (Sonoran soul-rock), opening set by Sweet Ghosts; Aug. 7, Blues Review Band; Aug. 14, Tommy Ash Band (country, rockabilly, Americana); Aug. 21, Teneia Sanders (pop, Motown); Aug. 28, Inspiración Flamenca (vocals, guitar, dancers).

Review: Papa John DeFrancesco Quartet at the Musicians Hall in Phoenix

By Patricia Myers

Hammond B3 organ maestro Papa John DeFranceso led a swinging night of hip riffs and infectious blues moves at another first-Tuesday concert series at the Musicians Hall on June 2nd.

Review: Young Sounds of Arizona at the Musical Instrument Museum

By Patricia Myers

The spring concert by The Young Sounds of Arizona’s two bands and a combo was performed for a near-capacity audience on June 1st at the Musical Instrument Museum in north Phoenix.

Spotlight: Opa Life Greek Café in Tempe hosts jazz nights

By Patricia Myers

The relaxed atmosphere of Opa Life Greek Café in Tempe has gained new patrons due to regular jazz performances that were started in October from the suggestion of a local jazz fan.

Arizona blues musician-booster receives deserved recognition

By Patricia Myers

Bob Corritore is super-big in blues news, and it’s well-deserved recognition…

First, the harmonica player, record producer and owner of the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, was the cover-story feature of Blues Blast Magazine’s May 28 issue.

Riffs: Music News from Out and About

By Patricia Myers

Summertime, and music events are easy to hear; notes are wafting, and the sounds are clear; there’s lots of places with jazz, and everyone can find them at MusicSceneAZ