Podcasts about berks jazz festival

Acclaimed international Jazz vocalist Lori Williams has a most impressive resume as a performing artist, veteran music educator, songwriter, producer, musical theater actress, radio host, business owner/founder (PositiveMusicPM.org), and artist-in-residence with over 30 years of experience. Her annual vocal jazz tour and performance at music festivals have taken her to Europe (Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Russia, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, and Ukraine), Japan,  The Caribbean (including Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Curaçao, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos, et. al), Mexico, and across the United States (performing at venues and festivals like The Atlanta Jazz Festivals, Berks Jazz Festival, The Birchmere, Birdland - Hamburg, Blues Alley, Blue Note Hawaii, Capital Jazz Fest/Cruise, City Winery, Disney's Pleasure Island, Gulf Coast Summer Jazz Festival, JazzFestBRNO, JazzHRAM, Jazzkeller - Esslingen, Jazzland - Vienna, The Kennedy Center, Keystone Korner, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, Myrtle Beach Jazz Festival, Rams Head Live, Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival, Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, Scullers Jazz, Spivey Hall, Trieste Loves Jazz, and more). Her vocal jazz artist residencies have allowed her to work with and mentor students on college campuses in the USA and abroad. As a veteran vocal music educator and private vocal coach, Lori's received many honors for her contributions to the arts, including The 2025 South Arts Jazz Road Award, The Atlanta Chapter of the National Hampton Alumni Association's 2023 Excellence in Arts and Entertainment Award, Outstanding Music Teacher in the October 2000 issue of Teaching Music, the 2007 Superintendent's Arts Teacher of the Year, and the 2010 Vincent E. Reed Teacher of the Year. Lori was nominated for a 2014 Helen Hayes Award as an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Resident Musical for her role as Ella Fitzgerald. Lori has received letters of recognition for her performances by President Joseph Biden (wherein he wrote that Lori Williams has "the voice of an angel…absolutely amazing"), Speaker of the House John Boehner, and Senator C. Anthony Muse.  Immersed in traditional jazz from an early age (earning a B.A. in Mass Media Arts from Hampton University, attending the Jazz Studies Program at The University of the District of Columbia, and currently working on her Master's degree in Music - Jazz Studies at Georgia State University), Lori Williams hosts a weekly radio program on JazzRadioWETF.org -  "Collector's Choice With Lori Williams". Her weekly broadcast highlights women in jazz, the international scene and young performers dedicated to the roots and traditions of the music. Lori is also the producer and host of Sunday Jazz Lounge at St. James Live! jazz club in Atlanta, Georgia (stjamesliveatl.com). For over three decades, Lori Williams has had the honor of working with many notable artists as lead / background / studio session / guest vocalist including Oleta Adams, Marcus Adams, Yolanda Adams, Nikita Agafonov, David Archuleta, Marcos Ariel, Rob Bargad, Regina Belle, Eric Benet, The Blackbyrds, Michael Bowie, Willie Bradley, Karen Briggs, Norman Brown, Tom Browne, Peabo Bryson, Chuck Brown, Wayne Bruce, Jerry Butler, Jonathan Butler, Paul Carr, Terri Lyne Carrington, TC Carson, Gene Chandler, Renato Chicco, Stanley Clarke, Nick Colionne, Collaboration, Michael Colyar, Adrian Crutchfield, John Davis, John Di Martino, Will Downing, Joris Dudli, George Duke, Nathan East, Rodney M. Edge, Troy Sol Edler, Kevon Edmonds (After 7), Herb Fame, Jorel "JFLY" Flynn (HBIYD), Derrick Gardner, James Genus, Jazmin Ghent,  Tres Gilbert, Savion Glover, Chelsey Green, Slide Hampton, Winard Harper, Christian Havel, Walter Hawkins, Norbert Heger, Howard Hewett, Dr. W. Weldon Hill, Tony Hightower, Corcoran Holt, William Hubbard, Daryl Hunt, Yoron Israel, Jessy J, Al Johnson and The A-Team, Allyn Johnson (Divine Order), Marcus Johnson, Stanley Jordan, Jackiem Joyner, Michael Keul, Kindred the Family Soul, Ben E. King, James King, Anatoliy Kirnichnyy, Antoine Knight, Yishai Knoll, Saltman Knowles Group, Ignat Kravtsov, Rayshun LaMarr, Lavahi, Evgeny Lebedev, Alex Malheiros (Azymuth), Jimmy Masters, Maysa, Daniel McClain (After 7), Frank McComb, Marion Meadows, Najee, Jimmy Masters, Nathan Mitchell, Ed Neumeister, Marat Nikolaev, Milan Nikolic, Julia Nixon, Daniel Nösig, Antonio Parker, Phil Perry, Robert E. Person, Anne Phillips, Benjie Porecki, Lloyd Price, Chuck Redd, Robert Redd, Althea Rene, Anton Revnyuk, Lenny Robinson, Gino Rosaria, Ellie Saitoh and The Love Tambourines, Erwin Schmidt, Sylver Logan Sharp, Avery Sharpe, Art Sherrod, Oli Silk, Brian Simpson, Dick Smith, John Toomey, Tony Terry, Unit 3 Deep, Gerald Veasley, Chris Walker, Kevin Walker, Kim Waters, Doug Weiss, Anthony Wellington, Matthew Whitaker, Roz White, Bernhard Wiesinger (Poysdorf All-Stars), Vesta Williams, Larry M. Wilson,  Angela Winbush, Sherry Winston, David Ylvisaker, Frederic Yonnet, et.al.  Lori Williams is the proud mother of two exceptionally talented and compassionate remarkable young adults — Lauren V. Highsmith (LAVAHI.me) and Yusef Khalil Chisholm - who inspire her daily with their creativity, passion, and accomplishments. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, and the Recording Academy.

John Ernesto, General Manager of the Boscov's Berks Jazz Festival, speaking about the 30th anniversary of the event taking place August 13 through August 22, 2021, in Reading, PA at the DoubleTree by Hilton. For the complete schedule and more information: www.berksjazzfest.com/ Covid-19 protocols will be observed.

During Blue Note at Sea 2019, Wynton Marsalis came aboard with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for two special sets. Before the performances he sat down with Blue Note at Sea host Marcus Miller for a conversation about his early years in New Orleans and the long-lasting influence of both of his parents, who were very serious about education. This episode is sponsored by Berks Jazz Festival. The Jazz Cruise Conversations podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions, the worldwide leader in music-themed cruises.Send us a text

During Blue Note at Sea 2019, Wynton Marsalis came aboard with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra for two special sets. Before the performances he sat down with Blue Note at Sea host Marcus Miller for a conversation about his early years in New Orleans and the long-lasting influence of both of his parents, who were very serious about education. This episode is sponsored by Berks Jazz Festival. The Jazz Cruise Conversations podcast is produced by Entertainment Cruise Productions, the worldwide leader in music-themed cruises.

Drummer and bandleader Matt Wilson sits in with JT publisher Lee Mergner to spin cuts from his new album looking back on his life with his wife Felicia who died of cancer two years ago.  The album, Beginning of a Memory, features a band he calls Big Happy Family, comprised by the musicians from all his groups over the last 20 years.  Matt talked about the importance of family and how jazz musicians have become his extended family throughout his struggle to deal with his wife’s death.  This episode sponsored by Berks Jazz Festival.

Jazz writer Bob Blumenthal sits in to spin cuts from two recent very special archival releases from Resonance Records - The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra's All My Yesterdays and Stan Getz's Moments in Time.  Bob and Lee then riff on what it means to release an album today and how technology has change not only how we listen, but also how the music is presented.  This episode is sponsored by Berks Jazz Festival.

Let’s begin at the beginning with John Ernesto, the General Manager of the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest. He has been involved since the beginning 26 years ago when The Arts Council and The Visitor’s Bureau and area hotels wanted to put together a Jazz Festival. It was meant to be a cultural art experience to draw people to Berks County during a slower time of year. 4 years later John Ernesto took over and learned along the way. It started as a weekend event, it expanded to a 10 day event to celebrate the 10th Anniversary and that format has continued to this day. The economic impact on Berks County is between 8 and 10 million dollars. Now the challenge is to keep people and artists coming back every year. The enthusiasm doesn’t wane. It has become a real destination for music fans. We try to keep the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Festival fresh so artists are brought back in different contexts. The fans come back every year because they trust us. It’s kind of like a jazz cruise on land. The artists mingle with the fans whether at a restaurant or a hotel lobby. Another staple of the Boscov’s Berks Jazz Fest is the midnight music jams. Musicians love to join the jam even after already performing multiple shows throughout the day and fans stay up through the wee hours of the morning to enjoy the music. The Jams will be held at Bldg 24 this year. John Ernest attributes the lasting success to this, “A simple philosophy is take care of the artists, take care of the fans, and everything else will take care of itself”. And so John and his team will do that again this year. John adds the biggest challenge is coordinating the artist availability and schedules. Manhattan Transfer, Take 6, Mavis Staples, an All-star cast performing the music of James Brown, Bela Fleck and Chick Corea, and child prodigy pianist Joey Alexander are just some of this year’s highlights.

Lee spins two recent holiday music albums - Tim Warfield's Jazzy Christmas and Nnenna Freelon's Christmas.  Lee explains his annual ritual of compiling a holiday music sampler for friends and family in lieu of a humbly boasting holiday letter.  Lee and Rene talk about their favorite holiday songs and they discuss the virtues of caroling.  During the Riff, Rene turns the tables and grills Lee on the upcoming Jazz Connect Conference at APAP|NYC in January.  And Lee in turn interviews Rene about her one woman play - Slut Energy Theory - which premiered earlier this year in NYC.  This episode sponsored by Berks Jazz Festival.