That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

As in many other cities, local radio is a great way to tap the jazz scene in
Miami. Radio hosts usually give a rundown of what’s coming up the next
weekend, and they play a lot of good music (often including CDs by local
musicians).
Latin jazz musician Sammy Figueroa is a Miami institution; he hosts the “Latin
Jazz Quarter” radio show on WDNA-FM (88.9), and he can tell you which Miami
clubs and music are hottest. His CD . . . And Sammy Walked In was nominated
for a Grammy in 2006 for Best Latin Jazz Album. Figueroa also provided percussion
for Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and other greats.
For more about Latin jazz, check out Chapter 9.
New Orleans
It’s a tough time to write about jazz in the essential jazz city, as it recovers
from Hurricane Katrina, which struck in 2005. But as the once and future
Queen of Jazz, New Orleans earns its place in this chapter.
Jazz was born (at least publicly) in Congo Square, where the cultures and
music that merged into jazz mixed in public at a time when that couldn’t
happen in most American cities. Buddy Bolden made some of the earliest jazz
here, then came Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Johnny Dodds, King Oliver,
Kid Ory, and most all of jazz’s early greats (see Chapter 5 for details). New
Orleans also is the hometown of the prolific Marsalis family: pianist and father
Ellis, sons Branford (saxophone), Delfeayo (trombone), Jason (drums), and
Wynton (trumpet).
Jazz is an essential ingredient of the public party known as Mardi Gras,
but for serious listening on a large scale, consider the New Orleans Jazz &
Heritage Festival, which serves up dozens of bands over several days every
spring. See Chapter 14 for details on this festival and check out www.
nojazzfest.com.
In addition to ornate buildings and jazz bars that look much the same as they
did in Armstrong’s era, New Orleans has many places where you can discover
the music’s history, including New Orleans Jazz Historical Park (performances,
lectures, walking tours of historical sites, and exhibits such as “A New Orleans
Jazz Funeral”). The park’s tours include neighborhoods such as the Canal
Street, Lafayette Square, and the Vieux Carré. Visit www.nps.gov/jazz/
index.htm for more info.
As for jazz clubs, they’re everywhere:
Chapter 18: Ten Great Cities for Jazz
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