The inspiration for this week’s blog post is Smooth Jazz saxophonist Boney James’s instrumental version of the song “Stop, Look, and Listen.” It is an excellent segue into discussing April as Jazz Appreciation Month. Thanks to the Smooth Jazz station on Sirius satellite radio, I can stop, look, and listen all day when I take time between visits to medical offices.
John Edward Hasse, Ph. D., curator of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, created Jazz Appreciation Month in 2001 as an annual event that pays tribute to living and deceased jazz artists.
Since my children are now adults, Hubby and I have the time to enjoy attending smooth jazz concerts. Thanks to my subscription to Sirius Radio, I can listen daily to the smooth jazz station Watercolors.
Even though we live in a small town in the USA, we support smooth jazz by attending local concerts. I am grateful we are a car ride away to attend the Capital Jazz Festival in Columbia, Maryland, The Kennedy Center Jazz Club in Washington, D.C., and The Berks Jazz Festival in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg does a great job with the Dauphin County Jazz and Wine Festival in September every year. I relish the commitment of The Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz for their yearly high-level smooth jazz entertainment.
Not to forget The Whitaker Center for Science and Arts. Over the last ten years, the following artists were brave enough to put Harrisburg on their tours at that location: Dave Koz, David Benoit, the late Wayman Tisdale, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Peter White, Mindi Abair, Kenny G, Najee, Chieli Munucci, Brian Culbertson, Walter Beasley, Brian Simpson, and Keiko Matsui. Not bad, Harrisburg.
The ultimate live jazz concert is the Smooth Jazz Cruise, held every January. The year we cruised, former NBA star and then jazz guitarist Wayman Tisdale hosted the cruise. Holland America’s mega-size fleet vessel, Westerdam, took over 2,000 jazz lovers to Aruba, Curacao, and Half Moon Cay.
Sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, took three days to Aruba. After my seasickness, I relished all the onboard entertainment and programming.
According to my Dad, I am not a traditional straight-ahead jazz lover like him, so I am not a true jazz enthusiast. I grew up listening to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, to name a few. I mostly identified with Donald Byrd’s Blackbirds, Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man,” and George Benson’s Breezin’ album.
The Sirius XM satellite radio station celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with 8 days of live jazz recorded aboard the 2015 Smooth Jazz Cruise. The replay is the culmination of the 2015 Watercolors Jazz Hall of Fame Ceremony and Concert honoring Grammy Award-winning jazz saxophonist Gerald Albright and the late great keyboard pioneer, composer, singer, and producer George Duke.
Take time this month to stop, look, and listen to smooth jazz—or whatever genre is music to your ears! Have a fabulous week.
April,
I do like the Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, it’s a jazz classic. We didn’t get to Reading Berks Jazz and no plans to go to Capital Jazz. I am looking to go on another Smooth Jazz Cruise.