Trends, Travel. Film, History and Books

May 8, 2013

Education, Entertainment, Feature, Trends

Chick Corea, Cassandra Wilson, Bill Frisell and others to grace the 35th edition of Copenhagen Jazz Festival

Source: Cision

Copenhagen Jazz Festival has revealed this year’s festival poster and named the first batch of the headliners that will be performing this July. Already the outlines of the 35th edition of Copenhagen’s huge annual music celebration of all sorts of jazz, world, funk, avant-garde and a lot more are beginning to form.

Copenhagen’s unique jazz history is a key factor in the exceptionally high artistic level of the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, something that can be experienced at the historic jazz venues, theaters and many free open-air stages strategically located throughout the city. Together with Copenhagen’s record number of cafés and other venues, these stages create a unique atmosphere, bringing the city alive with jazz from early morning to late at night.

People don’t only come for a fantastic musical experience, but for the unique atmosphere throughout Copenhagen when jazz for ten days every year takes over the culture- and family-friendly city.

First headliners ready for Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2013:
– Chick Corea and the Vigil (US)
– Cassandra Wilson (US)
– Medeski Martin & Wood (US)
– David Murray Infinity Quartet feat. Macy Gray (US)
– Bill Frisell & The Big Sur Sextet (US)
– Marcus Miller (US)
– Charles Lloyd, Zakir Hussein & Eric Harland (US/IN)
– Branford Marsalis (US)
– Laura Mvula (UK)

This year’s festival poster is made by painter and street artist Søren Behncke

Friday April 19th the festival unveiled this year’s festival poster at a combined poster release party and concert at Statens Museum for Kunst. The poster is created by sculptor, painter and street artist Søren Behncke (born 1976) who currently has an exhibition at the renowned Gallery V1 in Copenhagen. Behncke also uses the aliases Papfar and Posemanden when his art intervenes with public space.

Every year since 1982 Copenhagen Jazz Festival has chosen a Danish artist to create the official festival poster, and today these posters have become collector’s items. The posters – which are based on different art forms ranging from paintings and collages to photography and graphic – are not just a graphical billboard for the festival but have been widely accepted as stand-alone pieces of art.

Facts about Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2013

– Copenhagen Jazz Festival 2013 takes places July 5-14 – both days included
– The concerts takes place at clubs, cafes, bars, concert halls and open-air stages in the city’s parks and squares and along the harbor front
– Established in 1979
– The festival features more than 1,000 concerts on 100 venues in Copenhagen
– Total attendance is 263,000 visitors (2011)
– The full program is available in May and distributed on print for free in Denmark – and available for download as a free application for iPhone, iPad and Android.

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“TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM” STAR-FILLED FILM TURNS SPOTLIGHT ON BACKUP SINGERS – LEGENDS WITH GOSPEL/CHURCH ROOTS

Source: Cision

New York, NY — The new film TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM – featuring Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Tata Vega, Patti Austin among others – spotlights the untold true stories of the backup singers to some of the greatest musical legends of our era. And, because their stories begin most often in church, where preachers’ kids learned to sing and sustaining faith grew, TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM testifies to the rich roots and far reach of gospel music.

“Backup singers pretty much all started in church choirs and can sing circles around most lead singers,” said Morgan Neville, the award-winning director of TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM. “These gifted artists span a range of styles, genres and eras of popular music, but each has a uniquely fascinating and personal story to share of life spent in the shadows of super-stardom.”

TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM presents rare archival footage, a peerless soundtrack and intimate interviews with Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Mick Jagger and Sting, to name a few. Such world-famous figures take a backseat, however, to the backup singers whose lives and stories now move to center stage.

Enter Dr. Mabel John, former solo artist who joined the “Raelettes,” backing up music legend Ray Charles. Dr. John now sings from the pulpit at Joy in Jesus Ministries where she has returned to her church and gospel roots.

Triumphant and heartbreaking in equal measure, the film is both a tribute to the unsung voices that brought shape and style to popular music and a reflection on the conflicts, sacrifices and rewards of a career spent harmonizing with others.

Released by RADiUS-TWC, TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM held the coveted slot of opening this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film launches in theaters nationwide June 14.

Author Tony Lindsay Releases “Emotional Drippings” A Collection of Short Stories About Love, Lust and Addiction

Source: BlackNews.com

Chicago, IL — Emotional Drippings by Tony Lindsay is a collection of short stories about love, lust, and addiction. The stories are real enough to wrap the reader in the common prose of the characters everyday lives. These lives, these characters, these situations are lived by the readers. Moments of desire, anguish, pity, joy, and heart pounding excitement flow effortlessly onto the pages. This collection of short stories, Emotional Drippings, reflects lives lived during these times. A very stimulating read.

The publishing company, Penknife Press, says: “We publish works that the mainstream publishing industry won’t publish because the works are not intended for the mass market. There are many fine works that are directed towards specific and narrow markets.

Heretofore, those works have been given short shrift. Here, may they strive. The growing body of works and authors represented here is meant to arouse the mind and the soul.”

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