Post tag: Milt Hinton Jazz Perspectives Concert Series
2024 Upcoming Events
  2024      
  November 16     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s original composition “Flight II” performed by pianist ArcoIris Sandoval on Marlow’s “Obrigado Brasil” (MEII Enterprises 2016) is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  November 15     “JAZZ IN CHINA” documentary screening: Dr. Eugene Marlow’s award-winning, feature-length documentary “Jazz in China,” based on his 2018 book of the same name, screened at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (34th Street and Fifth Avenue) starting at 4 p.m. Room TBA.
  October 15     The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) publishes The Jazz Omnibus: 21st Century Photos and Writings (Cymbal Press).  The works of 90 JJA members are represented in this volume of approximately 600 pages (with two dozen b&w images). It is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats, and sold online (typically. through Amazon). Dr. Eugene Marlow’s essay on jazz pianist great Bill Evans is among those chosen for this volume. 
  August 30     JAZZ IN ARABIC CULTURE BOOK: Eugene Marlow signs a contract with the University Press of Mississippi (UPM) to deliver a manuscript dealing with “Jazz in Arabic Culture” based on his formative documentary. The volume is due for publication in 2026. UPM published Dr. Marlow’s Jazz in China in 2018.
  August 28     Eugene Marlow, MBA, Ph.D. begins his 73rd semester (37th year) teaching courses in media and culture at Baruch College (City University of New York). Dr. Marlow was on fellowship leave in the spring 2024 semester to work on a “Jazz in Arabic Culture” feature-length documentary.
  August 9     DR. EUGENE MARLOW’S “JAZZ IN CHINA” BOOK AND DOCUMENTARY is mentioned in an article by Bruce Munro titled “Shanghai, Shanglow” originally published in odt.co.nz on 3 Aug 2024 and republished on the web site of the New Zealand China Council. Dr. Marlow was interviewed for the article.
  July 11     MARLOW PRIZE 2023-2024 WINNER: David Milch, Director of the MA Program in Arts Administration at Baruch College (City University of New York), informed student Mary Schwab she was the 2023-2024 recipient of the Marlow Prize for her consultancy Building Membership for a Copyright Management Organization: A Consultancy for Artists Rights Society. The honor, including a check for $500, will be presented at a ceremony in early September 2024. Elena Freijeurdaneta was selected for an Honorable Mention for her consultancy Exodus on Odyssey: Touring Strategies for Start-Up Theatre Companies.
  June 7     MEII Enterprises launches its re-constructed, multi-genre indie label web site
  May 24     NEW ALBUM RELEASE: MEII Enterprises releases “Me, Alone,” a nine-track album of original compositions for solo piano performed by Eugene Marlow. These tracks were recorded by the composer in 1971 in his Merced, California apartment following a four-year stint in the United States Air Force.  
  May 13     NEW MARLOWSPHERE BLOG: Eugene Marlow posts a blog book review of Erica Ginsberg’s Creative Resilience.
  May 1     “ZIKKARON/KRISTALLNACHT” AWARD: Eugene Marlow’s documentary short “Zikkaron/Kristallnacht: A Family Story” is an official selection semi-finalist of the CLIMAX Festival Internacional de Cinema Independiente 2024 in the “Best Achievement in Documentary Editing & Sound” category. There were 537 submissions to this film festival. 
  April 30     INTERNATIONAL JAZZ DAY DOCUMENTARY SHOWING: Documentarian Dr. Eugene Marlow shows excerpts from his formative documentary “The Influence of African American Jazzers in the Diaspora: China & Russia” for the 24 hours of International Jazz Day. Link provided on April 30, 2024. Click Here.
  April 15     NEW MARLOWSPHERE BLOG: Eugene Marlow posts a blog about his High School of Performing Arts classmate Charlie Smalls, composer and lyricist of the 1975 Broadway show “The Wiz”. 
  April 13     BIG BAND PERFORMANCE: Bobby Sanabria’s Grammy-nominated “Multiverse” Big Band performs Eugene Marlow’s transcription and arrangement of James Reese Europe’s 1914 recording of “St Louis Blues” as part of a celebration of the music of Rafael Hernandez and James Reese Europe’s Harlem Hellfighters, Bronx Music Hall, 438 East 163rd Street, Bronx, New York City.
  March 30     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s free jazz-styled arrangement of  “Adon Olam” with vocalist Rachel Kara Perez, performed by Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble, is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  March 23     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s Bolero-styled composition “Sin Mi” (Without Me) with lyrics by Rachel Kara Perez, performed by Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble with multi-lingual vocalist Jenn Jade Ledesna, is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  March 22     MARLOW PRESENTATION: Dr. Marlow gives a short talk on his “Jazz International” research project (documentaries and books) PechaKucha style for staff, professors, and students at Baruch College’s (City University of New York) Third Annual Cross-College Faculty Research Symposium. 
  February 17     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s Latin jazz original “Flight II,” performed and recorded by Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble with ArcoIris Sandoval at the piano, is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  February 15     NEW MARLOWSPHERE BLOG: Marlow’s newest blog is “In Recovery from the Pandemic–APAP 2024 Faces: Familiar, New & Absent.” 
  February 9     NEW ALBUM RELEASE: MEII Enterprises proudly releases a second album from the Ben Sutin Quartet. Titled “Mr. Inevitable,” the seven-track album consists of all Sutin originals. The album is available on all major digital platforms and Bandcamp. Watch an album video hereSutin’s first album with MEII Enterprises was “Hard Bop Hanukkah” (2020). 
  February 8-11     JAZZ IN CHINA DOCUMENTARY SHOWING: Eugene Marlow’s award-winning, feature-length documentary “Jazz in China” is an “official selection” of the “Third Annual (2024) Spotlight on Academics Film Festival.” It is shown via ResearchTV.ca. This is the 12th film festival to officially select the documentary. So far, it is the recipient of an “Award of Excellence” from the 2022 Depth of Field International Film Festival and was the first place winner of the 2022 American Insight “Free Speech Film Festival.”
  January 13-14     APAP 2024: Eugene Marlow, Ph.D. attends the annual meeting of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (New York City) as a journalist. Marlow will write an article about the international exhibitors attending the multi-day event at the New York Hilton (midtown).  
  January 12     “BOARDED AND BROKEN” DOCUMENTARY SHOWING: The New Plaza Cinema (scroll down a bit) shows “Boarded & Broken,” a documentary short photographic essay by Glenda F. Hydler with  a music underscore composed by Dr. Eugene Marlow (who also produced and directed the work). The photographs represent some of the businesses that covered up during and after the vandalism around New York City in the spring of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Temporary structures were created in the name of “security.” They were boarded and broken, but not forgotten.  The short film festival is organized by filmmaker Michael Jacobsohn. New Plaza Cinema is located at 35 West 67th Street in Manhattan, New York. Starts at 7:30 p.m. General seating: $15; Seniors: $12. 
  January 6     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s Afro-Caribbean original “El Ache de Sanabria,” an homage to friend and colleague Bobby Sanabria, performed and recorded by the Grammy-nominated “Multiverse Big Band” on the Jazzheads label, is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  January 1     Dr. Marlow begins a one-semester fellowship leave from Baruch College to work on his nascent new documentary “Jazz in Arabic Culture”. He returns to teach courses in media and culture at Baruch College on August 28, 2024.
  2023      
  December 16     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s Afro-Caribbean arrangement of “Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,” performed by his Heritage Ensemble,  is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  November 26     Dr. Eugene Marlow is informed his blog “Remembering Bill Evans: A Personal Account,” originally published in 2013, was to be included in an anthology of “best writing by jazz journalists.” The volume, sponsored by the Jazz Journalists Association, will be published by Cymbal Press in 2024. 
  November 7     MEII ENTERPRISES ARTIST PERFORMANCE: Violinist/Composer Ben Sutin’s fourth album “Mr. Inevitable” is performed by the quartet at a pre-release show at Shapeshifter Lab in Park Slope (New York City) on Tuesday, November 7th starting at 6pm! Shapeshifter Lab is located at 837 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11215. Sutin’s album will be officially released on February 9, 2024. 
  November 1     GRAMMYU: GrammyU, the mentor/mentee arm of the Recording Academy (the Grammys) has paired Dr. Eugene Marlow (mentor) with French-born Amelia Rolland (mentee), a recent singer-songwriter graduate of the renown Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA).  This is Marlow’s fifth turn in the GrammyU program. He is a voting member (since 2006) of The Recording Academy.
  October 21     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s Latin-jazz arrangement of “Hatikva” (The Hope), the Israeli national anthem, performed by Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble, is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  October 15     RADIO PLAY: Francisco Manuel invites composer/producer Eugene Marlow to spin “Blue in Green Remix” (MEII Enterprises 2023) on Radio Despi out of Barcelona, Spain.
  October 2     Dr. Eugene Marlow participates in the American Insight “Speak EZ” program which showcases award-winning directors, artists. authors, and scholars. Marlow’s feature-length documentary “Jazz in China” won first place in American Insight’s 2022 “Free Speech Film Festival.” He is interviewed by Karen Curry, former NBC and CNN journalist. 
  August 29     The Annual Marlow Prize in “Arts Consulting” is presented at a ceremony organized and hosted by the MA Program in Arts Management (David Milch, Director) at Baruch College (City University of New York) (starts at 6.p.m.). Dr. Marlow is in the process of establishing a $25,000 fund so that the annual prize can be awarded in perpetuity. 
  August 28     Dr. Eugene Marlow begins his 71st semester (36th year) teaching courses in media and culture at Baruch College (City University of New York).
   July 3     MARLOW PRIZE AWARDEES: Matthew Sullivan is the recipient of the Marlow Prize in Arts Leadership for the 2022-23 academic year. His consultancy, Children’s Orchestra Society: Succession Planning for Community Arts Organizations was an exceptional paper utilizing a very high level of research and an analytical approach. His review of succession planning – specifically in a transition within a founder-led organization will serve the Children’s Orchestra Society very well, but also provides an excellent resource for any similar institution. The Committee also awarded an Honorable Mention for the Marlow Prize this year to Jessie Kardos for her consultancy, Re-envisioning a Multinational Dance Nonprofit Through a Program Budget Model: Springboard Danse Montréal & Friends of Springboard Danse. Jessie’s consultancy stood out in its ability to provide excellent research and analysis, managed across two organizations, working internationally and with budgets in multiple currencies. Sullivan and Kardos are students in the MA Program in Arts Management at Baruch College, City University of New York. The annual Marlow Prize is funded by Dr. Eugene Marlow, Senior Professor in Baruch College’s Department of Journalism.
  June 30     ZIKKARON/KRISTALLNACHT SHOWING: Eugene Marlow’s award-winning documentary short “Zikkaron/Kristallnacht: A Family Story” is shown at the New Plaza Cinema (New York City) on June 30. This short (previously an official selection at 18 domestic and international film festivals) is among several shorts shown on June 30. The short film festival is organized by filmmaker Michael Jacobsohn. New Plaza Cinema is located at 35 West 67th Street in Manhattan, New York. General seating: $15; Seniors: $12.
  May 27     PERFORMANCE: Dr. Eugene Marlow’s piece “Aspetta Ancora Qualche Minuto” (“Wait a minute!”) is performed by the Namaste Trio (Natalia Benedetti, clarinet, Guido Arbonelli, clarinet, and Vincenzo De Filpo, pianoforte) in Montecchio Emilia, Italy.  The concert is organized by composer Andrea Talmelli, Presidente of SIMC, the Contemporary Music Italian Association. 
  April 30     JAZZ IN CHINA (DOCUMENTARY): The folks at the UNESCO sponsored International Jazz Day invited Dr. Eugene Marlow to present his multi-award-winning feature documentary “Jazz in China” as an “official event” on April 30, 2023. The documentary is shown free of charge globally via UNESCO’s International Jazz Day web site for 24 hours on April 30, 2023.
  April 21     MEII ENTERPRISES ARTIST PERFORMS: MEII ENTERPRISES artist classical oboist Virginia Chang Chien performs with a trio at Klavierhaus, 790 11th Avenue, New York City. Concert entitled “Revival Romanticism” starts at 7 p.m. Ms. Chien performs with violist April Jiwon Kim and pianist Daniel Colalillo. Tickets $26.
  April 6     JAZZ IN CHINA (DOCUMENTARY): Dr. Eugene Marlow’s award-winning, feature-length documentary is shown at the Brooklyn Heights branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, starting at 6 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose room on the basement level. Dr. Marlow participates in a Q&A session following the showing. The library is located at 286 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn NY 11201.
  April 1     ARTICLE: Dr. Marlow is featured in the Baruch College Fund Annual Report 2021-2022 because of his commitment to his Marlow Prize in Arts Leadership, awarded annually to a student in the Graduate Program in Arts Administration.
  March 31-April 2     JAZZ IN CHINA (DOCUMENTARY) ON CUNY-TV: Dr. Eugene Marlow’s award-winning feature-length documentary “Jazz in China” is shown on CUNY-TV. CUNY-TV reaches 7.3 million homes. “Jazz in China” looks at the influence of African American jazz musicians on Chinese artists, and the music’s appeal to Chinese youth. Embark on a captivating journey as this documentary takes you through exclusive interviews and incredible performances that capture the magic of jazz culture in China throughout history, and today. Produced by Baruch College journalism professor Eugene Marlow. Friday, 3/31, Saturday, 4/1, and Sunday, 4/2, at 3:55 PM. CUNY TV | Antenna 25.3 | Spectrum/Optimum 75 | RCN 77 | Verizon FiOS 30
  March 7     MEII ENTERPRISES ALBUM PRODUCTION: MEII Producer Eugene Marlow goes into the studio (Samurai Hotel) in Astoria, Queens (New York City) to oversee the recording of virtuoso violinist Ben Sutin’s forthcoming album, featuring acclaimed drummer Johnathan Blake. The album is due for release in late summer 2023.  
  March 1     JAZZ IN CHINA (DOCUMENTARY) ARTICLE: DOWNBEAT, the leading jazz publication, publishes “Jazz in China: A Cultural Conversation,” authored by John McDonough. The full-page feature article includes comments by producer-director Dr. Eugene Marlow.
  February 27     JAZZ IN CHINA (DOCUMENTARY): Dr. Eugene Marlow talks about his award-winning, feature-length documentary as part of the Northwest China Council’s “Movie Chat” program. Starts at 7 p.m. PST. Register here.
  February 25     MARLOW BIG BAND CHARTS: Composer/Arranger Eugene Marlow adds three more Latin big band charts to 3-2 Music’s catalogue: “Resolution,” “Sin Mi,” and “Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel.” Marlow’s first big band chart with the Fresno, California company that markets to colleges and universities music departments was “El Ache de Sanabria (en moderacion),” Marlow’s musical homage to multi-Grammy nominee drummer/percussionist and big band leader Bobby Sanabria. This chart appears on Sanabria’s Grammy-nominated “Big Band Urban Folktales” (Jazzheads 2007) 
  February 24-26     JAZZ IN CHINA (DOCUMENTARY) ON CUNY-TV: Dr. Eugene Marlow’s award-winning feature-length documentary “Jazz in China” shown on CUNY-TV’s 7.3 million homes. “Jazz in China” looks at the influence of African American jazz musicians on Chinese artists, and the music’s appeal to Chinese youth. Embark on a captivating journey as this documentary takes you through exclusive interviews and incredible performances that capture the magic of jazz culture in China throughout history, and today.  Produced by Baruch College professor Gene Marlow. Friday, 2/24, Saturday, 2/25, and Sunday, 2/26, at 3:35 PM. CUNY TV | Antenna 25.3 | Spectrum/Optimum 75 | RCN 77 | Verizon FiOS 30
  February 15     GRAMMYU MENTEE: Recording Academy voting member Dr. Eugene Marlow is chosen to serve as a mentor to mentee Nora Ann Jn Louis (a.k.a. Koryna), a first year BA in Music Production student at Rider University, Lawrenceville, New Jersey. This is Dr. Marlow’s fourth turn as a mentor in the Recording Academy’s mentorship program.
  February 15     JAZZ IN CHINA (BOOK) TALK: Dr. Eugene Marlow gives a talk (via Zoom) organized by the Northwest China Council (Portland, OR) starting at 7 p.m. (PST). The talk is free and open to the public.  Register here to participate in the one-hour presentation.
  February 11     PERFORMANCE: Dr. Eugene Marlow’s “Aspetta Ancora Qualche Minuto” (“Wait a minute!”) is performed by the Namaste Trio (Natalia Benedetti, clarinet, Guido Arbonelli, clarinet, and Vincenzo De Filpo, pianoforte) at the Camera del lavoro, Association Secondomaggio, in Milano, Italy.
  January 25     Dr. Eugene Marlow begins his 70th semester (35th year) teaching courses in media and culture at Baruch College (City University of New York).
  January 21     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s original Latin composition “Sin Mi” (Without Me) with lyrics by Rachel Kara Perez, performed by Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble with multi-lingual vocalist Jenn Jade Ledesna,  is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  January 2     Dr. Eugene Marlow submits a positive review of The Supreme Nonfiction: An Anthology of Literary Nonfiction in the Digital Age book proposal to publisher Bloomsbury.
         
  2022      
  December 24     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s Afro-Caribbean arrangement of “Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel,” performed by his Heritage Ensemble,  is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  December 15     REVIEW OF THE “JAZZ IN CHINA” BOOK: “BEST JAZZ BOOKS OF 2018.”
  December 15     REVIEW OF THE “JAZZ IN CHINA” DOCUMENTARY: A review of the documentary in “The Feedback Society” by Robert Barry Francos from May 2021.
  November 21     ARTICLE  PUBLISHED: Dr. Eugene Marlow’s article “Jazz in China: The Book, The Documentary, the Journey,” appears in the November 2022 issue of School Band and Orchestra, pp. 16-19.
  November 21     SINGLE TRACK RELEASE: Anruo Cheng’s electroacoustic composition “She Says,” an anti-violence against women protest piece, is released on Eugene Marlow’s indie MEII Enterprises label.
  November 19     “JAZZ IN CHINA” DOCUMENTARY AWARD CEREMONY: American INSIGHT’s annual Free Speech Film Festival Award Ceremony takes place at Cliveden in Philadelphia on Saturday, November 19th, 2022. The Free Speech Film Festival Award Ceremony Moderator is American INSIGHT Board member, Karen Curry, former NBC and CNN Bureau Chief. She will be joined onstage by Bob Craig, longtime WRTI Jazz host, and Dr. Eugene Marlow, the director of the 2022 Free Speech Award winner.
  November 10     “JAZZ IN CHINA” REVIEW: Renowned jazz journalist Nate Chinen pens review of Eugene Marlow’s award-winning, feature-length “Jazz in China” documentary.
  November 10     “ZIKKARON KRISTALLNACHT” DOCUMENTARY PRESENTATION: Dr. Eugene Marlow’s award-winning 2015 documentary short “Zikkaron/Kristallnacht: A Family Story” has been selected by 17 domestic and international film festivals. It also earned the 2016 John Culkin Award for Outstanding Praxis from the Media Ecology Association. The documentary short will be presented as part of The Sandra Kahn Wasserman Jewish Studies Center in the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch College on November 10. A talk by Dr. Marlow will follow the showing. The presentation takes place in 14-270 starting at 6 p.m. at Baruch College (New York City).
  November 7     SINGLE TRACK RELEASE: Eugene Marlow’s piece for string orchestra “Undminished” as performed by the North/South Chamber Orchestra is released by MEII Enterprises on cdbaby to 150+ digital platforms. 
  November 3     GUEST SPEAKER/BLUE IN GREEN: Three tracks from Eugene Marlow’s “Blue in Green: Original Compositions Inspired by the Jazz Poems of Grace Schulman” are played at an “event” honoring Dr. Grace Schulman’s retirement from Baruch College. The event takes place in Engelman Recital Hall, Baruch College (New York City) at 6 p.m. Dr. Marlow honors Dr. Schulman with an impromptu recounting of their collaboration, calling her “the Mozart of poets.”
  October 12     JAZZ IN CHINA DOCUMENTARY AWARD: Eugene Marlow’s 2022 feature-length documentary “Jazz in China” is the winner of the 2022 American Insight “Free Speech Festival.” An award ceremony will take place in Philadelphia on November 19.
  September 26     Recording Academy voting member Dr. Eugene Marlow is chosen to serve as a mentor to mentee Ms. Amelia Rolland, a French-born, multi-talented musician-composer (currently studying at the Berklee School of Music in Boston). This is Dr. Marlow’s third turn as a mentor in the Recording Academy’s mentorship program.
  September 25     Marlowsphere Blog: Dr. Marlow publishes Blog #156–Anruo Cheng’s electroacoustic composition “She Says,” an anti-violence against women protest piece. 
  August 31     JAZZ IN CHINA AWARD INTERVIEW: Dr. Eugene Marlow, Producer/Director of the award-winning documentary “Jazz in China,” is interviewed by Karen Curry, a member of the board of American Insight (via Zoom), regarding his documentary. The feature-length documentary (which has also received an “Award of Excellence” from the Depth of Field International Film Festival) is the winner of the 2022 American Insight “Free Speech Film Festival.”
  August 30     The Annual Marlow Prize in “Arts Consulting” is presented at a ceremony organized and hosted by the MA Program in Arts Management (David Milch, Director) at Baruch College (starts at 6.p.m.). Stephanie O’Brien received the award for 2021-22, and both Jose Alvarado and Rob Maitner received Honorable Mentions. Dr. Marlow is in the process of establishing a $25,000 fund so that the annual prize can be awarded in perpetuity. 
  August 29     Dr. Eugene Marlow begins his 69th semester (35th year) teaching courses in media and culture at Baruch College (City University of New York).
  August 13     JAZZ IN CHINA DOCUMENTARY AWARD: Eugene Marlow’s feature-length documentary “Jazz in China” is the recipient of an “Award of Excellence” from the “2022 Depth of Field International Film Festival.” The festival received close to 400 entries from 23 countries. 
  August 9     JAZZ IN CHINA ZOOM PRESENTATION: Dr. Eugene Marlow is interviewed on Zoom by the University of Chicago/Hong Kong about his feature-length documentary “Jazz in China.” Dr. Marlow shows a 15-minute portion of the documentary followed by a Q&A session. The full-length, 60-minute documentary is an official selection at 11 domestic and international film festivals.
  August 3     JAZZ IN CHINA IN-PERSON PRESENTATION: Dr. Eugene Marlow gives a talk on “Jazz in China: The Documentary” at the Basalt (Colorado) Public Library. He shows the feature-length documentary in its entirety followed by a Q&A session. Presentation starts at 5:30.
  August 1     JAZZ IN CHINA IN-PERSON PRESENTATION: Dr. Eugene Marlow gives talk on “Jazz in China: The Book/The Documentary” at the Aspen Composers Conference, Aspen, Colorado. Dr. Marlow shows a 15-mi nute portion of the documentary followed by a comparison of writing the book vs. producing the documentary.
  July 8     PERFORMANCE: Eugene Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble provides music for Baruch College’s Executive MBA Reception at the St. Regis (New York City).
  July 2     RADIO PLAY: Eugene Marlow’s “El Ache de Sanabria” performed by the Grammy-nominated “Multiverse Big Band” is spun on WBGO’s “Latin Jazz Cruise,” hosted by Bobby Sanabria. WBGO is the most listened to jazz radio station on the planet.
  June     JAZZ IN CHINA DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: International Piano (UK) publishes a review of Eugene Marlow’s documentary, p. 62.
  May 22     MANUSCRIPT REVIEW: Dr. Eugene Marlow submits review of “Locating Burial Mound: Naamyam, Free Jazz, and Chinese American Voices” draft manuscript for Music Theory Spectrum, University of Ottawa.
  April 30     JAZZ IN CHINA DOCUMENTARY: Eugene Marlow’s revised feature-length documentary about “Jazz in China” (based on his 2018 book) is an “official event” of International Jazz Day. The documentary is available for viewing free of charge globally for the 24 hours of International Jazz Day.
  April 15     THE MARLOWSPHERE BLOG: Eugene Marlow publishes “Part II: It’s Suffocating: When Young Women From South East Asia Hit A Cultural Wall.” 
  April 8     THE MARLOWSPHERE BLOG: Eugene Marlow publishes Part I: “It’s Suffocating When Young Women From South East Asia Hit A Cultural Wall” 
  April 2-8     NPR RADIO PLAY: Judy Carmichael re-broadcasts her March 2019 interview with Dr. Eugene Marlow about his book Jazz in China: From Dance Hall Music to Individual Freedom of Expression (University Press of Mississippi 2018). Marlow will release a feature-length documentary version of the book on the MEII Enterprises label on April 30, 2022, International Jazz Day.
  February 28     ZIKKARON/KRISTALLNACHT OFFICIAL FILM FESTIVAL SELECTIONS: MEII Enterprises announces that Dr. Eugene Marlow’s 2015 documentary short “Zikkaron/Kristallnacht: A Family Story” has been selected for showing at 18 domestic and international film festivals, as follows: 2022 Stockholm Short Festival, 2022 FlickFair Film Festival, 2022 Arthouse Festival of Beverly Hills, 2021 Tokyo Shorts Film Festival, 2021 San Francisco Indie Short Festival, 2021 Rotterdam Independent Film Festival, 2021 Phoenix Shorts Film Festival, 2021 Paris International Film Festival, 2021 Niagara Falls International Short Festival, 2021 London Indie Short Festival, 2021 Florida Short Film Festival, 2021 Berlin Shorts Award, and 2017 New York Short Film Tuesdays.
  February 7     GRAMMYU: Grammy U, the educational outreach arm of the Recording Academy, has paired Dr. Eugene Marlow (voting member since 2006) with Jonah Abrams, an upper level student at Stevens Institute of Technology (New Jersey) for the Spring 2022 semester.
  January 31     Dr. Eugene Marlow begins his 68th semester teaching courses in media and culture at Baruch College (City University of New York).
  January 28     Dr. Eugene Marlow interviews Baayork Lee, Co-Founder and Executive Artistic Director of the National Asian Artists Project, as part of the MA in Arts Administration Spring 2022 Semester Welcome @ Baruch College (starts @ 5 p.m.) Dr. Marlow and Ms. Lee both graduated from The High School of the Performing Arts: Marlow as a drama major, Ms. Lee as a dance major. Of note, Lee created the role of Connie in the 1976 Tony-award winning Best Musical A Chorus Line.
  January 11     THE MARLOWSPHERE BLOG: Eugene Marlow publishes his newest blog: “Update: The Max Borak Story.”
  January 10     ALBUM RELEASE: MEII Enterprises releases “C.I.T.I.Z.E.N.” the inaugural album from Ghananian rapper Pope Nst. The five-track album has been distributed worldwide to all digital platforms. 

Please check back often as updates with new dates and more details will be added to the schedule.

Click here to learn more about Eugene Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble

EMHE

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Marlow Has Music & Journalism in His DNA

The article Marlow Has Music & Journalism in His DNA is drawn from a podcast interview Dr. Eugene Marlow gave on “College Talk”—a weekly video program exploring the lives and work of the people of The Weissman School of Arts & Sciences at Baruch College. Marlow has been a professor at Baruch since 1988.

The Marlow podcast interview is entitled Jazz and the Evolution of Media in the 21st. Century. The program is hosted by Dr. Aldemaro Romero Jr., Dean, Weissman School of Arts & Sciences, Baruch College (CUNY).

 

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Hearing Is Believing

Justin Kauflin in concertThe Marlowsphere Blog (#119)

On April 2, 2015, The Milt Hinton Jazz Perspectives concert series  (of which I am honored to serve as co-chair) at Baruch College (City University of New York) will present a quartet led by twenty-something jazz pianist Justin Kauflin. The concert will take place in Baruch’s Engelman Recital Hall, part of the college’s Performing Arts Center.

There are certainly many young, talented jazz pianists being educated and nurtured in high school and college jazz programs across the country (around the world, for that matter). But what makes Kauflin stand a little taller than the rest is the fact that he was mentored by the very recently departed, great trumpeter and educator Clark Terry.

Keep On, Keepin' On PosterI became familiar with Kauflin and his relationship with Terry through a showing of the award-winning film “Keep On Keepin’ On.” I reviewed this film in a previous blog.

To quote from this review:

Clark Terry became acquainted with Kauflin when he was studying at William Patterson College. The relationship between these two musicians—an age difference of over 60 years—evolved into more than just a professional exchange. It became a friendship founded on the mutual respect and, yes, love, between these two artists.

But there’s more to this story. During the course of the documentary we learn of Justin’s eyesight problems at a very young age and ultimate loss of all his sight at age 11. We also learn—and see first-hand—of Clark Terry’s battle with diabetes and the ultimate loss of both his legs late in life (around age 90). Here, then, are two musical artists with serious physical challenges who share their pain with each other, but encourage each other to “Keep on Keepin’ On.”  (Click to read full review.)

The documentary has earned an armful of awards.

Clark Terry, one of the most popular and influential jazz trumpeters of his generation and an enthusiastic advocate of jazz education, died on Saturday, February 21, 2015 in Pine Bluff, Ark. He was 94. (Read New York Times obituary.)

Justin Kauflin is also keepin’ on.

But the pain that these two artists have dealt with—Terry with diabetes, and Kauflin with his loss of eyesight at the age of 11—begs the question: how do some people deal with physical adversity given their creative impulses? In particular, how do people with musical genes overcome their lack of sight to express their sonic visions?

At first blush, the perception is that the vast majority of musicians do not have to deal with “sight“ issues. But even a cursory look at the musicians who have achieved success in the music world gives one pause. The number and quality of blind American musicians who have battled past a lack of sight to become successful at making sounds is impressive. Here are a few examples of the many blind musicians in the jazz/pop genres, courtesy of http://blindamericanmusicians.blogspot.com/:

Ray CharlesRAY CHARLES (1930 – 2004) – Ray began life with sight but was blind due to Glaucoma by age 7.  He attended the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.  It was here he received a formal education in classical music.  With this base and his growing interest in Jazz and Blues he began to develop his musical style.  He listened to Country, Blues, Gospel, Pop and Jazz on the radio.  His 1955 hit “I Got A Woman” was the beginning of finding his unique musical voice.  He loved how music allowed him complete freedom of expression.

Sammy Davis Jr.SAMMY DAVIS Jr. (1925 – 1990) – His dad, Sammy Davis Sr. was a well-known vaudeville entertainer. Davis never attended school and was self-taught through the school of hard knocks. In 1955 he lost his left eye in a car accident. His music was very traditional in Broadway, Light Jazz and Pop Standard vein. Davis was famous for his stage presence, acting ability and singing style. He had more than a hand full of big hit songs, “Love Me Or Leave Me”, “The Candy Man”, “That Old Black Magic”, and “What Kind Of Fool Am I” to name just a few.

Jose FelicianoJOSE FELICIANO –  a Puerto Rican/American born blind, Jose has become one of America’s best known entertainers internationally. He belongs in the upper echelon of the great guitarist of our time. His version of the national anthem performed at Tiger Stadium in Detroit in the late 1960’s was controversial at the time but has become recognized as one of great interpretations of the song. In the United States he is best known for his million selling hit “Light My Fire” and the Christmas classic “Feliz Navidad”  He helped to mainstream Latin music influence on Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Terri GibbsTERRI GIBBS – Terri was born in Florida in 1954 and the family moved to Augusta, Georgia. She comes from a family steeped in Gospel music. She began playing the piano at age three and began performing at an early age. She did take music lessons to help improve her understanding of the art. Like Ray Charles, Ronnie Milsap and other great artists from the South, she grew up listening to Country, R&B, Rock ‘n’ Roll and Gospel. Her debut single “Somebody’s Knockin’” became a huge hit and a crossover success.

Rahsaan Roland KirkRAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK (1935 – 1977) – He performed as a multiple instrumental artist. Jazz was what he performed and was famous for his stage antics and the ability to play more than one instrument at a time.  He left a legacy of over a dozen albums.

MARCUS ROBERTS – He is one of America’s great jazz musicians who happens to be blind since age five. His mother also was blind and a gospel singerMarcus Roberts who helped him to learn to play the piano. He attended the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, the Alma Matter for two other great musicians, Ray Charles and Charles Atkins. He went on to college at Florida State University. He believes strongly in the traditions of the great Jazz artists. Marcus is a perfectionist and very tradition minded when it comes to his art.  Yet, he believes the artist needs to play for the audience and not for themselves.  He is an Assistant Professor of Jazz Studies at Florida State University.

Diane SchuurDIANE SCHUUR – Two-time Grammy award-winning jazz singer. While she was self-taught on the piano, she did attend Washington State School for the Blind for formal education in music and piano. She was influenced by the great Sarah Vaughn, Dinah Washington and Ray Charles to name a few. She has had several hit albums in the Jazz genre. While Jazz is her forte, she has performed in nearly every popular genre.

SIR GEORGE SHEARING, OBE (1919 – 2011) – was a world-renownedSir George Shearing British-born jazz composer and musician. Shearing became involved in the jazz scene in the greater London area.  When he immigrated to the United States in 1947 he was swept into the New York jazz world. He melded the two worlds of classical orchestra music with jazz.  He has over 300 songs to his credit as a composer, as well ass two Grammy’s and 100+ albums. His music has been heard in more than a dozen films and TV shows. In 2007 he was Knighted by the British Crown and given the official title of “Sir.

Art TatumART TATUM  (1909 – 1956) – Tatum was not totally blind.  His vision was little more than light perception. At a very early age he taught himself to play the piano. Both parents were skilled musicians. During his high school years he attended the Ohio School for the Blind.  He studied braille and music. He has over four dozen albums to his credit.  His piano styling has had a lasting impact on jazz musicians. Great musicians he influenced are Oscar Peterson, Lionel Hampton, Charlie Parker, and Herbie Hancock. He is noted for his impressive speed playing of the piano. He was posthumously honored with  the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lennie TristanoLENNIE TRISTANO (1919 – 1978) – He was born in Chicago and was one of the nation’s leading jazz educators.  He acknowledged fellow brother in blindness, Art Tatum, as influential in his music.  He also credited Charlie Parker and Nat King Cole. He had more than a hand full of recordings to his credit.

STEVIE WONDER – a world famous singer/songwriter, was Stevie Wonderborn blind in 1950. At a very early age he began to master the piano.  Later he mastered the harmonica, drums and bass. He attended the Michigan School for the Blind where he studied classical music. Perhaps, what might have been more important were the impromptu jam sessions in the dorms at the school. Ronnie White of the Miracles discovered Stevie which led to him being signed by Berry Gordy of Motown and Tamla records. He has two dozen Grammys (including the Grammys is the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award), a Golden Globe, and an Oscar for best song in a film.

There is truth to the observation that when one loses, either partially or totally, one of his/her senses, the other senses compensate by becoming more sensitive. Perhaps there’s truth also in the observation that the jazz/pop musicians presented above achieved their artistic success, in strong part, because of their loss of sight. Their loss of vision accentuated their musical vision.

But the other significant thread among all these musicians is that they did not let their sensory handicaps to deter them. They kept on keepin’ on.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other of my blogs, please write to me at
meiienterprises@aol.com.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
March 30, 2015

© Eugene Marlow, March 30, 2015

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Classical & Jazz: A Century Old Melding of Genres

World Music BrewThe Marlowsphere Blog (#110)

There are still some quarters on this planet where musicians, musicologists, and critics perceive the world of music in terms of categories: classical music here, jazz over there, world music in other places. In fact, pick up any music history book and the world of music is neatly divided among early music, medieval music, Baroque, classical, Romantic, and then 20th century music.

This latter category is a potpourri of musical styles, and extends into the early part of the 21st century.

I am still waiting for more musicologists to come to terms with the term “world music” to define the 21st century because that is what music has increasingly become: a melding of musical styles with influences from all over the planet.

I am motivated to delve into this subject primarily for two reasons. First, later this week I’ll be hosting the fall concert of the Milt Hinton Jazz Perspectives Concert Series at Baruch College’s Engelman Recital Hall (on October 29). The performers are the Grammy-nominated Harlem Quartet. In addition to one purely classical piece (a movement from a Mendelsohn string quartet), the balance of their program will be all jazz.

Deanna Witkowski "Rain Drop"The second reason is a new CD from pianist Deanna Witkowski entitled “Rain Drop.” It is her sensitive and tasteful adaptation of several Chopin nocturnes and preludes sprinkled with her own short compositions inspired by the Romantic composer. The melding of the two genres—classical and jazz—is ever-present in this inspired CD. For example, Ms. Witkowski makes the musical point that Chopin’s Prelude in E minor (op. 28, No. 4) is also the basis for Antonio Carlos Jobin’s “Insensatez.”

This melding of classical and jazz genres (and in the case of Jobin, Brazilian rhythms) is not a recent happening, particularly when it comes to jazz-influenced classical compositions. Almost from the initial emergence of jazz as America’s classical music (a term the late Dr. Billy Taylor coined; and don’t let anyone tell you any differently), classical composers have mined the jazz genre. For example, parts of the Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E minor (written in the 1890s) have melodies that sound like black spirituals (although he claimed he did not plan the resemblance).

There are other notable classical composers who have borrowed from the jazz genre for their compositions:

      • George Antheil (A Jazz Symphony)
      • Malcolm Arnold (Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra)
      • Milton Babbitt (All Set)
      • Leonard Bernstein (Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs)
      • Boris Blacher (Concerto for Jazz Orchestra)
      • Marc Blitzstein (The Cradle Will Rock)
      • Aaron Copland (Concerto for Piano and Orchestra)
      • George Gershwin (most famously Rhapsody in Blue)
      • Hans Werner Henze (Boulevard Solitude)
      • Pail Hindemith (Suite fur Klavier)
      • Arthur Honegger (Concerto for Cello and Orchestra)
      • Constant Lambert (Elegiac Blues)
      • Rolf Liebermann (Concerto for Jazzband and Symphony Orchestra)
      • Frank Martin (Ballade for trombone and piano)
      • Darius Milhaud (Trois rag caprices)
      • Maurice Ravel (Piano Concerto in G)
      • Gunther Schuller (Concertino for Jazz Quartet and Orchestra)
      • John Serry (American Rhapsody)
      • Dmitri Shostakovich (Suite for Jazz Orchestra);
      • Karlheinz Stockhausen (Sonatine for violin and piano);
      • Igor Stravinsky (Ragtime for 11 instruments)
      • Michael Tippett (Symphony No. 3)
      • Kurt Weill (The Threepenny Opera)
      • Alec Wilder (Octets)

The mixing of classical and jazz in the 20th and 21st centuries has flowed the other way. The highly classically trained Andre Previn made several small ensemble albums of jazz and popular music standards. His classical roots are clearly imprinted on every track.

The Swingle Singers (1964)The Swingle Singers, (pictured left) directed originally by Ward Swingle (who once belonged to Mimi Perrin’s French vocal group Les Double Six), began as session singers mainly doing background vocals for singers such as Charles Aznavour and Edith Piaf. Christiane Legrand, sister of Michel Legrand, was the original lead soprano, and they did some jazz vocals for Michel Legrand. The eight session singers sang through “Bach’s Well-Tempered Klavier” as a sight-reading exercise and found the music to have a natural swing. They recorded their first album “Jazz Sébastien Bach” as a present for friends and relatives. Many radio stations picked it up and this led to the group recording more albums and winning a total of five Grammy Awards.1

You can hear the strong classical training roots in the playing of jazz pianist greats Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. I recall Evans once telling me that when he was younger he studied the Romantic composers (he also apparently worked harder than anyone else to achieve his harmonically complex yet sensitive playing style, despite the fact that his hands were unusually large).

Turtle Island Quartet & Chick CoreaEven more recently the two-time Grammy-winning Turtle Island Quartet —through the talents of founder David Balakrishnan–has adapted jazz stylings for violins, viola, and cello. Similarly, the aforementioned Harlem Quartet performs Chick Corea’s crossover (classical to jazz) compositions.

On a more individual basis, virtuoso guitarist Romero Lubambo of Trio Da Paz fame is fond of performing Bach’s Prelude in C minor at the drop of a hat and at unbelievable breakneck speed (I have heard him perform it in the context of a Trio Da Paz performance and separately at a Diane Reeves concert). Very often jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut will morph an improvisation into a familiar classical melody and back to various jazz stylings.

The larger concept, of course, is this trend–present throughout the 20th century—has evolved into a melding of world music styles in the 21st century. In other words, every musical and rhythmic style is now fair game for composition and performance. Influences come from all corners of the planet. It has become a melting pot of musical influences. My own quintet, The Heritage Ensemble, performs arrangements and original compositions that combine Hebraic melodies with various jazz, Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian, and, yes, classical styles.

There’s no getting around it: along with a global economy there’s also a global exchange of music styles. This is the new music of the 21st century.

If you have any comments or questions about this or any of my other blogs, please write to me at meiienterprises@aol.com.

Eugene Marlow, Ph.D.
October 27, 2014

© Eugene Marlow 2014

 

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Swingle_Singers

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