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New Jazz It Up! Episode Features: Cyrus Chestnut, Jon Gordon, First Lady Michelle Obama, Cannonball Adderley and Todd Barkan

Source: Michael Ricci
August 11, 2009
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New York, NY -- The good news of jazz is the musical message of season 2, episode 7 of Jazz it Up! Pianist

Cyrus Chestnut

piano
b.1963

" data-original-title="" title="">Cyrus Chestnut performs an uplifting jazz rendition of the gospel classic “We Fall Down, But We Get Up" (by Donnie McClurkin) outdoors in Harlem. The other featured artist is alto saxophonist

Jon Gordon

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Jon Gordon, who blows fire from his horn in Greenwich Village during a hip, backbeat jazz tune he arranged for nonet. In the second part of the half-hour episode Gordon details his musical influences and Chestnut explains the tie between jazz and gospel music.

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JAZZ NEWS: First Lady Michelle Obama welcomes a group of 150 young musicians from across the nation to the White House for a special day of music, education and performance of jazz music. The First Lady closes the segment by recounting the role of jazz in her own upbringing.

VINTAGE: One of the top alto saxophonists in jazz history,

Cannonball Adderley

saxophone
1928 - 1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Cannonball Adderley, displays soul jazz with a modal twist in his rendition of “Jive Samba." Seeing the dramatic arc of his improvisation, with Cannonball's customary emotional depth and technical virtuosity, is a wonder to behold.

JAZZ INSIDER: Long-time jazz record producer and presenter Todd Barkan discusses his days at owner of the Keystone Corner in San Francisco, the famous club known as the “Village Vanguard of the West Coast," and his perspective on his current role at Jazz at Lincoln Center, with host Greg Thomas.

Michael Ricci,

Rudresh Mahanthappa

saxophone, alto
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dr.

Billy Taylor

piano
1921 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Billy Taylor and the group Take 6 urge viewers to Keep Swingin'!

Jazz it Up! dedicates this episode to the memory of alto and soprano saxophonist

Charlie Mariano

saxophone, alto
1923 - 2009

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Mariano.

Next on Jazz it Up!

Alto sax titan

Kenny Garrett

saxophone, alto
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Garrett fronts an ensemble with characteristic fire at the Iridium Club and the unique a capella vocal ensemble Take 6 swings their rich harmonies at Jazz at Lincoln Center as our featured performers. We bring back the “Jazz Friends" segment with a warm discussion between the legendary jazz pianist

Hank Jones

piano
1918 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Hank Jones and the “Segovia of jazz guitar,"

Gene Bertoncini

guitar
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Gene Bertoncini. We'll have jazz news and surprises too.

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About Jazz it Up!

Jazz it Up!, a production of BrownStone Digital, Inc., contains live performances, news, and discussions by emerging to established artists who play the array of styles that make jazz. Program segments are designed to engage viewers through different angles of insight into the art form. Our editing style appeals to a younger demographic through special effects, and a mature audience by syncing the edits with the transitions in the music.

This is the only online music series that incorporates: interactive streaming video; mp4 sound technology; banner and video ads; features for sharing and feedback, with a distribution model exploiting the low-cost viral nature of email. Any user of Apples iPhone or iPod Touch can view our half-hour episodes.

Hosted by jazz writer and broadcast journalist Greg Thomas, the first season of Jazz it Up! was viewed by 1,000,000 people in 15 countries. The first seven episodes of season 2 have garnered an additional 1.5 million viewers. In October 2008, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Consumer Electronics Association nominated Jazz it Up! for a Global Media Award in the Outstanding Long Form Entertainment category.

Swing by, and subscribe to Jazz it Up! for free. And dont hesitate to share the show with your associates, friends and family. When you get a new episode via email, forward it to as many people as youd like.

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