Happy Birthday, Aurora Nealand!

Bandleader, composer, saxophonist, clarinetist, accordionist, and vocalist Aurora Nealand was born on May 28, in California. The following biography is from http://www.auroranealand.com.

An established bandleader, composer, performer and improviser, Aurora Nealand has become a prominent force in the New Orleans music scene since she first arrived in 2004. Combining the “formal education” – a music composition degree from Oberlin Conservatory and training at the Jacques Lecoq School of  Physical Theatre in Paris –  with the “informal”  experience of playing music in the streets and clubs of New Orleans and throughout the northern Hemisphere, Nealand has emerged as an innovative, sensitive and daring music creator and performer.

She is most recognized for her performance on saxophones, clarinet and vocals and has been at the forefront of the revival of New Orleans Traditional Jazz amongst the younger generation of the city’s musicians. After playing and learning as a sideman in established New Orleans Bands for several years, (Panorama Jazz Band, VaVaVoom, The New Orleans Moonshiners), in 2010 she formed her own Traditional Jazz band “The Royal Roses”. The Royal Roses released it’s first album, “A Tribute to Sydney Bechet: Live at Preservation Hall” to national acclaim and Nealand was voted as one of Downbeat Magazines top ten rising stars for soprano saxophone in 2010.

Nealand grew up in a musical family in California listening to Preservation Hall Jazz Band recordings side by side with Stravinsky, Joan Baez and the Pixies. Later, during her time at Oberlin College/Conservatory she was exposed and fell in love with the recordings of Mingus, the soundscapes of Mort Subotnik and the performances of Laurie Anderson. With a strong interest in interdisciplinary work and sound for theatre and installation, she moved to Paris to study at the Ecole du Theatre Physical Jacques Lecoq. Upon returning to the states, she bicycled cross-country collecting audio interviews and stories in rural America to be used in a series of compositions about true “American Dreams”. This bicycle trip landed her in New Orleans, which has acted as her home base since 2005. In New Orleans she began playing traditional jazz, jazz manouche of Django Reinhardt, as well as Balkan/Klezmer music. She quickly became involved in the local improvisation scene as well, making frequent appearances at the Open Ears series playing her own compositions with various ensembles and artists.

In addition to leading the Royal Roses, Nealand is also the leader/frontman ofNew Orleans premier rockabilly band “Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers”, and as performs frequently with her solo project, “The Monocle”. She also is a member of Panorama Jazz Band and Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship.  In 2010 and 2011 she appeared frequently as herself  in the HBO TV series, “Treme”.

Nealand has performed extensively in New Orleans at clubs, in the Jazz and Heritage Fest, FrenchQuarter Fest and Satchmo Fest. She has also performed frequently in New York City at Lincoln Center Summer Festival in NYC, the BlueNote, Knitting Factory, Barbes and has premiered original works at Symphony Space and Alice Tully Hall.  Internationally she has appeared at the Istanbul Jazz Festival, London Swing Festival, Barcelona Swing Out, and has toured several times around Irealand, Sweden, Germany , France and the Balkans.

Today we wish this uniquely talented artist a very happy birthday!

Photo: http://www.auroranealand.com

The Axeman of New Orleans

The Axeman was a serial killer who terrorized the New Orleans area from May 1918 to October 1919, and whose vicious attacks left six people dead and six more severely injured. Mainly targeting Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans, the serial killer usually attacked with an axe, often belonging to the victims themselves. The Axeman sent a letter to the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans which was published on March 16, 1919, threatening to kill again on March 19 at 12:15 am, if he discovered any household not playing jazz music at that time. That night all of New Orleans' dance halls were filled to capacity, and bands played jazz at parties throughout New Orleans. There were no murders that night. To this day the murderer’s identity remains unknown and his crime spree stopped as mysteriously as it had started.

Happy Birthday, Aurora Nealand!

Bandleader, composer, saxophonist, clarinetist, accordionist, and vocalist Aurora Nealand was born on May 28, in California. The following biography is from http://www.auroranealand.com.

An established bandleader, composer, performer and improviser, Aurora Nealand has become a prominent force in the New Orleans music scene since she first arrived in 2004. Combining the “formal education” – a music composition degree from Oberlin Conservatory and training at the Jacques Lecoq School of  Physical Theatre in Paris –  with the “informal”  experience of playing music in the streets and clubs of New Orleans and throughout the northern Hemisphere, Nealand has emerged as an innovative, sensitive and daring music creator and performer.

She is most recognized for her performance on saxophones, clarinet and vocals and has been at the forefront of the revival of New Orleans Traditional Jazz amongst the younger generation of the city’s musicians. After playing and learning as a sideman in established New Orleans Bands for several years, (Panorama Jazz Band, VaVaVoom, The New Orleans Moonshiners), in 2010 she formed her own Traditional Jazz band “The Royal Roses”. The Royal Roses released it’s first album, “A Tribute to Sydney Bechet: Live at Preservation Hall” to national acclaim and Nealand was voted as one of Downbeat Magazines top ten rising stars for soprano saxophone in 2010.

Nealand grew up in a musical family in California listening to Preservation Hall Jazz Band recordings side by side with Stravinsky, Joan Baez and the Pixies. Later, during her time at Oberlin College/Conservatory she was exposed and fell in love with the recordings of Mingus, the soundscapes of Mort Subotnik and the performances of Laurie Anderson. With a strong interest in interdisciplinary work and sound for theatre and installation, she moved to Paris to study at the Ecole du Theatre Physical Jacques Lecoq. Upon returning to the states, she bicycled cross-country collecting audio interviews and stories in rural America to be used in a series of compositions about true “American Dreams”. This bicycle trip landed her in New Orleans, which has acted as her home base since 2005. In New Orleans she began playing traditional jazz, jazz manouche of Django Reinhardt, as well as Balkan/Klezmer music. She quickly became involved in the local improvisation scene as well, making frequent appearances at the Open Ears series playing her own compositions with various ensembles and artists.

In addition to leading the Royal Roses, Nealand is also the leader/frontman ofNew Orleans premier rockabilly band “Rory Danger and the Danger Dangers”, and as performs frequently with her solo project, “The Monocle”. She also is a member of Panorama Jazz Band and Why Are We Building Such A Big Ship.  In 2010 and 2011 she appeared frequently as herself  in the HBO TV series, “Treme”.

Nealand has performed extensively in New Orleans at clubs, in the Jazz and Heritage Fest, FrenchQuarter Fest and Satchmo Fest. She has also performed frequently in New York City at Lincoln Center Summer Festival in NYC, the BlueNote, Knitting Factory, Barbes and has premiered original works at Symphony Space and Alice Tully Hall.  Internationally she has appeared at the Istanbul Jazz Festival, London Swing Festival, Barcelona Swing Out, and has toured several times around Irealand, Sweden, Germany , France and the Balkans.

Today we wish this uniquely talented artist a very happy birthday!

Photo: http://www.auroranealand.com

WWOZ's Jazz Festing in Place - April 29 - May 2!

With New Orleans’ Jazz & Heritage Festival not scheduled until October 2021, New Orleans non-profit radio station WWOZ will again air its Jazz Festing In Place marathon in lieu of the annual event. The second weekend of special radio broadcasts on April 29th-May 2nd features rare and memorable Jazz Fest performances from years past which will air between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT (9 a.m. and 5 p.m. L.A. time) each day. Produced in partnership with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the daily broadcasts will also feature interview segments that highlight the food, crafts, and cultural heritage of the Louisiana city as fans patiently await the festival’s return later this year. Fans will be able to tune in by streaming the audio for free at the WWOZ website or via its terrestrial radio channel 90.7 FM. Check out the Cubes (broadcast schedule) by clicking here. So, sit back, close your eyes, and lose yourself in some of the best music on the planet! Happy Jazz Festing in Place!

WWOZ's Jazz Festing in Place - April 22 - 25 & April 29 - May 2!

With New Orleans’ Jazz & Heritage Festival not scheduled until October 2021, New Orleans non-profit radio station WWOZ will again air its Jazz Festing In Place marathon in lieu of the annual event. The special radio broadcasts scheduled for April 22nd-25th and April 29th-May 2nd feature rare and memorable Jazz Fest performances from years past which will air between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT (9 a.m. and 5 p.m. L.A. time) each day. Produced in partnership with the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, the daily broadcasts will also feature interview segments that highlight the food, crafts, and cultural heritage of the Louisiana city as fans patiently await the festival’s return later this year. Fans will be able to tune in by streaming the audio for free at the WWOZ website or via its terrestrial radio channel 90.7 FM. Check out the Cubes (broadcast schedule) by clicking here.

Select archive performances to air during the back-to-back weekends include Ella Fitzgerald with Stevie Wonder (1977), The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (1970), Tank & The Bangas (2017), Galactic (2014), Widespread Panic feat. Dirty Dozen Brass Band (2001), The Allman Brothers Band (2010), Carole King(1992), Dr. John (2000), Neville Brothers (2003), and more.

So, sit back, close your eyes, and lose yourself in some of the best music on the planet! Happy Jazz Festing in Place!

The Axeman of New Orleans

The Axeman was a serial killer who terrorized the New Orleans area from May 1918 to October 1919, and whose vicious attacks left six people dead and six more severely injured. Mainly targeting Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans, the serial killer usually attacked with an axe, often belonging to the victims themselves. The Axeman sent a letter to the New Orleans Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans which was published on March 16, 1919, threatening to kill again on March 19 at 12:15 am, if he discovered any household not playing jazz music at that time. That night all of New Orleans' dance halls were filled to capacity, and bands played jazz at parties throughout New Orleans. There were no murders that night. To this day the murderer’s identity remains unknown and his crime spree stopped as mysteriously as it had started.