It is with deep shock and sadness that we report the unexpected passing of Debra Mann, an acclaimed and supremely talented jazz singer, pianist and composer on our Whaling City Sound label. Her most recent recording, Full Circle, featuring the music of Joni Mitchell, was released in August 2018. She had also released three CD recordings on her label, Jobe Records.
Her career was decorated with highlights. A Berklee grad, Debra was widely hailed as Rhode Island’s premier jazz pianist and vocalist. She performed at Symphony Hall in Boston as a featured guest soloist with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra. She had the distinct honor of performing at the request of Frank Sinatra. In celebration of Women’s History Month, she performed with her trio on Ron Dellachiesa’s WGBH radio program “Music America.” She was a prized member of the regional jazz community, having shared the stage with artists including Dick Johnson, Herb Pomeroy, Gray Sargent, Marshall Wood, Ted Casher, Jeff Stout, Ed Saindon, and many others. Dino Govoni, Jay Azzolina, Dave Zinno, Marty Richards, Jerry Leake, and Paul Angel joined her on our Full Circle release.She was also a passionate educator, on the faculty of Brown University and Wheaton College.
We at Whaling City Sound, along with the music community, will miss Debra’s extraordinary and elegant musical voice. We mourn deeply her passing and extend our sympathy to her family and friends.For more information see
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“Stage Door Live!” by Dori Rubbicco reviewed in Jazz Journal UK
January 30, 2019
Dori Rubbicco took a degree in music and jazz vocal studies at Westfield State University and her association with her musical director John Harrison dates back to 1978 when they rehearsed together for a wedding gig. Whilst living in Los Angeles, Rubbicco auditioned for and then studied with John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. She met her future husband, guitarist Donn Legge, whilst they were both living in Miami where they resided for 17 years before returning to her home state of Massachusetts.
Stage Door Live! is the name given to a series of monthly concerts commenced in 2011 at New Bedford’s Zeiterion Theatre, where seating is arranged in a fairly informal, jazz club style and this set from the venue will appeal greatly to lovers of torch songs and the great American songbook. That said, John Harrison’s “Roman Sun” is an instrumental and one of two originals in the set.
Rubbicco’s feisty vocalese reading of “Twisted”, the sardonic song written and made famous by Annie Ross, elevates the recording to a whole new level. Rubbicco’s gifted with a good singing voice and she combines it with a powerful and convincing delivery which at its best evinces genuine emotional depth. One perfect example of this is her own moving composition “Right Here Waiting”.
The choice of numbers occasionally borders on the anodyne, although the languid, soulful arrangement of John Lennon’s “Imagine” unfailingly piques the listener’s interest, transforming it into something else entirely. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Two Kites” ends oddly with a fade-out, presumably for technical reasons, but the finale, “That’s All”, imbued with an ebullient, lively execution, clearly demonstrates Rubbicco’s potential as an outstanding vocalist.
Discography
Roman Sun; Imagine; Two Kites; Pretty Funny; No Regrets; Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow; Throw It Away; Twisted; Right Here Waiting; I Can See Clearly; That’s All (66.38)
Rubbicco (v); John Harrison III (p); Bill Miele (elb); Yoron Israel (d); Donn Legge (g); Bryan Steele (ts, ss); Ian Rubbicco Legge (clo). 18 May 2017, New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Whaling City Sound 107
Reggie Young Rest in Peace
Reggie Young
(1936-2019)
It is one of life’s great blessings to have known, albeit briefly, the wonderful person Reggie Young. You can read about his accomplishments – they were many and significant, particularly to those he helped become stars and chart-toppers – wherever you get your music news. What stood out to me is how humble, considerate and thoughtful he was in person. At a small CD release party for his first CD under his own name, Forever Young, in his home town of Leipers Fork, TN, many of his longtime cohorts and friends paid tribute to a person they respected not just for his unusual musical abilities, but also for the friend they had come to know well and love.
Reggie will be missed by many as one who lived his life as it should be lived, without ego and bluster, with a focused commitment to the musical task at hand and also to respecting and helping those he came to know.
Our condolences go out to Reggie’s family. His warmth and spirit continue to guide us.
Neal Weiss, president
Whaling City Sound
left to right: Tom Evered, Neal Weiss, Jenny Young, Reggie Youngphoto credit Ginny Shea, July 18, 2016, NashvilleSad to report the passing of legendary session guitarist and Whaling City artist Reggie Young. He was one of the most recorded guitarists in the sixties, seventies and eighties playing on numerous legendary hits by Elvis Presley, Dusty Springfield and more.Young was a member of the country supergroup The Highwaymen w/ Kris Kristofferson, WillieNelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. He was also a founding member of the Bill Black Combo. In 1964, The Beatles requested the Combo open for them during their first U.S. tour and invited the group over to England for another month-long tour.
“The story of Reggie Young’s career is, in many ways, a miniature version of the story of Southern soul music.” – AllMusic
A compilation of his famous recordings “Session Guitar Star” is due out next week on Ace Records.
Reggie Young “Session Guitar Star” Ace CDHD1537 will be available in the UK and via importers here on January 25, 2019. Last year the UK based reissue label Ace released a 22 track collection of his finest session work here on Amazon.
Bob Mehr of Memphis’ Commercial Appeal posted a story
New Greg Murphy release has “mighty ear turned toward the future”
Whaling City Sound attends Jazz Congress 2019
Ginny Shea attends
Jazz at Lincoln Center
10 W 60th St
New York, NY, 10023
on behalf of
with NBC10’s Mario Hilario
Your Digital Marketing Priorities
Having a presence digitally means more than just having a website. Molly Garber of digital marketing firm Capacity Interactive, which counts Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center as clients, shares five core priorities and how you can tackle them successfully, even with limited time and money.
Intro: Aaron Bisman (Jazz at Lincoln Center)
Panelists: Molly Garber (Capacity Interactive)
with vocalist Kristen Lee Sergeant from Inside Out WCS087
Jazz Entrepreneurship: Online Strategies, Offline Results
3 presenters talk about their entrepreneurial ventures: what’s been successful, what’s worked, and what hasn’t. Short individual presentations followed by Q&A.
Moderator: Ashley Kahn
Panelists: Marc Plotkin (Clive Davis School of Recorded Music at NYU), Meghan Stabile (Revive Music), Spike Wilner (Smalls Jazz)
JukeBox Jury Presented by JazzWeek
Many new releases are a slam dunk at jazz radio: down-the-middle post bop, high-profile vocalists, or the latest reissue or “lost” recording. But what about artists and recordings that exist along the fringe or push the envelope? How do radio stations decide what music gets on the air? A panel of radio programmers preview music ranging from the mainstream to the adventurous, and detail why or why not each track would work on jazz radio.
Moderators: Brad Stone and J Hunter (WVCR)
Panelists: Elizabeth A. Farriss (KEWU), Willard Jenkins (WPFW), Michael Valentine (WDNA), Gary Vercelli (KXPR)
Strategic Partnership in Practice: Jazz Night in America
What does an effective strategic partnership look like? How is it created and what does it take to maintain it? What value does each individual partner see in such a relationship and what can the jazz community learn from this unique partnership between NPR Music, WBGO, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Moderator: Neal Shapiro (WNET)
Panelists: Gabrielle Armand (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Anya Grundmann (NPR), Amy Niles (WBGO)
Perfect Pitch: Will This Press Kit Get Me Booked?
Independent artists invited to submit their press kit or EPK to panel of judges for a live review. Beyond personal feedback, the session leverages these real life examples to highlight best practices and opportunities for artists to best represent themselves through their bios, press releases, photos, videos, press clips, etc.
Moderator: Katie Simon (WBGO/Jazz Night in America)
Panelists: Bobby D. Asher (The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland), Janis Burley Wilson (August Wilson Center/Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival), Georgina Javor (Jazz at Lincoln Center)
Grab and Go food/drink with sponsor tables in Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Atrium
Monica Herzig’s SHEROES WCS106 featured on Antidote musician/promoter Ken Avis’ sponsored table
With pianist-composer Greg Murphy (Summer Breeze WCS081 and the soon released Bright Idea WCS111 and keyboard wiz Jason Miles (To Grover With Love / LIVE IN JAPAN WCS078, Kind of New WCS073)
Greg and Ray Blue
with Danny Bacher’s Still Happy WCS110 producer Jeff Levenson
KEYNOTE: Lundvall Visionary Award & Art Blakey Centennial Celebration
The Jazz Congress is honored to present the 2019 Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award to Darlene Chan, a tireless, behind the scenes advocate for so many artists and the music at large.
Immediately following the presentation of the award, members of the Jazz Messengers will reconvene onstage for a once in a lifetime reunion, hosted by Celine Peterson.
Panelists: Terence Blanchard, Randy Brecker, Cameron Brown, Donald Brown, Steve Davis, Leon Lee Dorsey, Essiet Essiet, Kevin Eubanks, Jon Faddis, Benny Green, Billy Harper, Donald Harrison, Eddie Henderson, Vincent Herring, Harold Mabern, Branford Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Ralph Peterson Jr., Bill Pierce, Lonnie Plaxico, Wallace Roney, Melissa Slocum, Charles Tolliver, Steve Turre, Bobby Watson
Opening Night Reception sponsored by BOLDEN, opening in theaters spring 2019
Celebrate opening night of Jazz Congress with BOLDEN, inspired by the life of Buddy Bolden. The film reimagines the compelling, powerful and tragic life of an unsung American hero who invented Jazz.
#TBT ’14 Jazz Connect
