RETURN TO FOREVER ANNOUNCES 2008 TOUR Return to Forever's classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White have announced a tour that will represent their first extensive engagements together in 30 years. The foursome will play more than 50 dates across North America and Europe, featuring primarily classic music from their chart-topping albums. Beginning in Austin, Texas, on May 29th, the legendary supergroup will swing across the U.S. and Canada in June, cross the Atlantic for July dates in Europe from Lithuania to London, then return to the States for an East Coast run of major venues. Fans should check their local venues for ticket on-sale information or visit www.return2forever.com for the latest information and unique VIP fan experience ticket packages. The tour includes top outdoor festivals such as the Montreux Festival, the Montreal International Festival, Spain's San Sebastian festival, France's Nice Festival and the Freihofer’s Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, as well as theaters and concert halls chosen to showcase what LA Times critic Don Heckman calls Return to Forever's "rich improvisational symbiosis." "What made me want to do it, " Corea told the Times, "was just recalling how great the feeling was playing with these guys. Just the experience of playing, when I thought, 'Wow, yeah, that was an amazing period -- fun, creative, exciting.'" Heckman, who attended the band's first rehearsal, said the group is now "bringing a 21st century perspective to the visceral blend of rock energy with the improvisation and compositional structures of jazz that made the quartet a phenomenon of the '70s." Original Return to Forever fans and a new generation of listeners can experience their unparalleled high-powered, yet grooving, musical mastery themselves this summer. Tour dates are below. A special Return to Forever anthology, compiled from the classic albums 'Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy', 'Where Have I Known You Before', 'No Mystery' and 'Romantic Warrior' and featuring dramatic sonic improvements, will also be released to coincide with the tour. This definitive collection, which was produced by founding RTF members Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke, is the first to include music from all these albums in one double-CD package. Find out more about Return To Forever and additional tour dates at www.return2forever.com. Tour Dates (Note: Fans should check with their local venues for ticket on-sale dates.) May 29-30 (Thu-Fri) Austin, TX - Paramount Theatre 31 (Sat) Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Center June 1 (Sun) Dallas, TX – Nokia Theater at Grand Prairie 3 (Tue) Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre 4 (Wed) Salt Lake City, UT – Kingsbury Hall 6 (Fri) Portland, OR - Schnitzer Concert Hall 7 (Sat) Medford, OR - Britt Music Festival 8 (Sun) Seattle, WA – The Paramount 9 (Mon) Vancouver, BC – The Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts 11-12 (Wed-Thu) San Francisco, CA - The Grand At The Regency Center (2 shows/night) 13 (Fri) Los Angeles, CA – Gibson Amphitheatre 14 (Sat) Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre 17 (Tue) St Louis, MO – Fox Theatre 18 (Wed) Omaha, NE - Holland Performing Arts Center 19 (Thu) Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre 20 (Fri) Chicago, IL – The Chicago Theatre 21 (Sat) Detroit, MI - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre 22 (Sun) Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre 24 (Tue) Cleveland, OH – The Plain Dealer Pavilion 25 (Wed) Toronto, Canada - Sony Centre 26 (Thu) Ottawa, Canada - Ottawa Jazz Festival/Confederation Park 27 (Fri) Montreal, Canada - Pelletier Hall/Place Des Arts 28 (Sat) Saratoga Springs, NY – Freihofer’s Jazz Festival July 2 (Wed) Vilnius, Lithuania - Utenos Arena 4 (Fri) Warsaw, Poland - Congress Hall 5 (Sat) Budapest, Hungary - Budapest Arena 6 (Sun) Belgrade, Serbia - Belgrade Arena 8 (Tue) Paris, France – Olympia Hall 9 (Wed) Vienne, France – Vienne Jazz Festival 10 (Thu) Madrid, Spain - Via Jazz Festival 11 (Fri) Girona, Spain - Cap Roig Festival 12 (Sat) Lorca, Spain 13 (Sun) Valencia, Spain 16 (Wed) Neuhardenberg, Germany 18 (Fri) Montreux, Switzerland - Montreux Jazz Festival 19 (Sat) Essen, Germany - Grugahalle 21 (Mon) London, England – Indigo2 23 (Wed) Nice, France - Nice Jazz Festival 25 (Fri) San Sebastian, Spain 30 (Wed) Miami, FL – The Fillmore Miami Beach 31 (Thu) Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall August 1 (Fri) Orlando, FL - House Of Blues 2 (Sat) Atlanta, GA - Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre 4 (Mon) Baltimore, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion 5 (Tue) Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center For The Performing Arts – w/ Béla Fleck and The Flecktones 6 (Wed) Boston, MA - Bank Of America Pavilion – w/ Béla Fleck and The Flecktones 7 (Thu) New York, NY - United Palace 2008 ASCAP FOUNDATiON YOUNG JAZZ COMPOSER AWARD RECiPiENTS ANNOUNCED New York, NY, February 7, 2008: ASCAP Foundation President Marilyn Bergman has announced the recipients of the 2008 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards. This program, established in 2002, was created to encourage gifted jazz composers from throughout the United States. The recipients, who range in age from 14 to 29, are selected through a juried national competition. They receive cash awards, and will be recognized at the annual ASCAP Jazz Wall of Fame ceremony on June 17, 2008, which will be held in The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center on Broadway at 60th Street, New York City. Commenting on the awards, Marilyn Bergman said, "The young jazz creators recognized through this program represent the future of this uniquely American art form. We congratulate the recipients and extend thanks to the dedicated panel of ASCAP composers who selected the honorees." The Young Jazz Composer Awards are in their third year of sponsorship by Gibson Foundation, the philanthropic arm of musical giant Gibson Guitar Corp. The Gibson Foundation supports The ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards in fulfillment of its commitment to educational excellence through music and the arts. This year’s ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award recipients, ages 18-29, are: Roy Assaf, 25 (New York, NY); Sharel Cassity, 29 (New York, NY); Michael Dease, 25 (New York, NY); Jesse Elder, 24 (New York, NY); Quamon Fowler, 27 (Ft. Worth, TX); Ross Garren, 22 (Los Angeles, CA); Tyler Gilmore, 25 (Denver, CO); Nicholas Grondin, 25 (Lee, NH); Alex Heitlinger, 27 (New York, NY); Bryson Kern, 25 (Astoria, NY); Pascal Le Boeuf, 21 (Santa Cruz, CA); Remy Le Boeuf, 21 (Santa Cruz, CA); Ben Markley, 25 (Longmont, CO); Linda Oh, 23 (New York, NY); Rick Parker, 29 (Brooklyn, NY); Joshua Richman, 21 (Hatfield, PA); Sherisse Rogers, (New Castle, DE); Kendrick Scott, 27 (New York, NY); Jaleel Shaw, 29 (Paterson, NJ); Stephen Smith, 27 (Wichita Falls, TX); and Omar Thomas, 23 (Bear, DE). The youngest ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composers, ages 14 to 16, are: Lucas Apostoleris, 14 (MA); Joel Carini, 15 (NY); Grace Kelly, 15 (MA); Noah Kellman, 16 (NY); David Lantz, 16 (PA); and Elijah Shiffer, 16 (NY). Composers receiving Honorable Mention are: Patrick Cornelius, 29 (Astoria, NY); Shaul Einav, 25, (Rochester, NY); Eric Hirsh, 23 (Durham, NC); James Hirschfeld, 26, (New York, NY); Jimmy Macbride, 16 (CT); Adam Ratner, 20 (Encino, CA); Matt Savage, 15, (NH); and Ted Taforo,18, (CA). The ASCAP composer/judges for the 2008 competition were: John Fedchock, Jay Leonhart, and Rufus Reid. About Gibson Foundation Founded in 2002 as the philanthropic division of Gibson Guitar, the Gibson Foundation is committed to making the world a better place for children worldwide through its own initiatives and by its support of other non-profit organizations that advance music and the arts, health and welfare, education, and environmental causes. Gibson Foundation's environmental partners include A Child's Right, Environmental Defense, Free the Children, Global Green, Rainforest Alliance, and WaterAid. Through its support of these organizations, Gibson Foundation helps to fight global warming and provide clean water, as well as promote biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods, green building, and the safe elimination of weapons of mass destruction. The impact of the support provided by the Gibson Foundation is felt by millions of people each year. About The ASCAP Foundation Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org FRENCH RAVES FOR JARRETT BOX As previously noted, ECM celebrates the 25th anniversary of the trio of Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette by re-releasing their first three albums as a specially-priced limited edition box set, accompanied by a booklet with rare photos and an insightful essay by Swiss jazz writer Peter Rüedi. “Setting Standards” revisits “Standards Vol. I”, “Standards II” and “Changes”, recordings made in New York’s Power Station in January 1983. The French press, always keen to analyze Jarrett, is already dedicating large articles to this reisssue and the trio’s jubilee. The weekly “L’express”, exploring the “story of a success”, observes that “these original albums haven’t lost any of their freshness” and concludes: “In questions of balance between the musicians involved and of sheer inventiveness, these three discs have no equal today.” “Il y a 25 ans, Keith Jarrett faisait sa révolution” reads the headline of Bertrand Dicale’s full-page article for the daily “Le Figaro”. The French journalist suggests that these three records may have represented the “last true revolution” in jazz, leaving no doubt that they amount “to one of the most abrupt and decisive changes of perspective in jazz’s history.” The trio’s 25th anniversary concerts include a number of dates in the US: Newark, New Jersey (February 2), Los Angeles (March 5), San Francisco (March 8), Philadelphia (September19), and New York (October 18). More details on the tour pages. Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette: Setting Standards (ECM 2030-32) PAMELA HiNES TRiO CLiMBS THE CHARTS Return, recorded in 2007 for a January of 2008 release, features Pamela Hines shining in her most stellar offering to date, a combination of well placed standards among the outstanding Hines compositions highlighted by premier Boston musicians, whose friendship and chemistry clearly illuminate this recording., Hines (piano), John Lockwood (bass), Bob Gullotti (drums), and special guest Jerry Bergonzi (sax). Articulation of the jazz language is instantly evident from the first notes. Hines ability to transition between modern and traditional harmonies, rhythms and flavors clearly defines her as a multi-faceted, well-rounded pianist and composer. A trait difficult to find in today’s industry. Hines prowess on the ivories is exhibited in full view on Return. The ability to create a sensitive and heart wrenching ballad and then switch gears to showcase multi-tiered dexterity within burning lines of arpeggios further resonate Hines as a multi-talented pianist and composer. A full tilt, full throttle artist in all rights. Bassist, John Lockwood who has toured the U.S. and Europe with Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Gary Burton, the Mel Lewis Big Band, and The Fringe, has also performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, MIT Symphony, Pat Metheny, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Shaw, Toots Thielemans, Stan Getz, and Art Farmer. Lockwood a long time collaborator with Hines creates the solid foundation of deep swinging lines that compliment and glue the group in a harmonious and adventurous journey into improvisation. Drummer, Bob Gullotti has performed with J.J. Johnson, Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano, Attila Zoller, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra and has over 30 recordings to his credit. Gullotti is a master of the skins; you can hear his kit sing as he interacts and ads to each composition with textures, colors and complexities. Gullotti’s ability to create multiple rhythm textures at one time is exemplified in Hines composition “Very.” Special guest artist saxophonist, Jerry Bergonzi is an International tenor sax man extraordinaire Michael Brecker was once asked if he still practiced daily. His answer was "As long as Jerry Bergonzi is around, no tenor player can rest on his laurels." For those in the know, this is the supreme compliment. From his early days with Dave Brubeck, Jerry has been known as the standard by which other tenor players are judged. Bergonzi adds his definitive sound to two of Hines’ originals, the poignant title cut “Return” and “Very, ” both harmonically complex and rich with inner-voicing which Bergonzi effortlessly weaves through. THE CHRiS GREEN QUARTET The Chris Greene Quartet has just released a contemporary masterpiece that will hopefully bring jazz to the masses. "Soul and Science, Volume One" is a standout recording from start to finish. AllAboutJazz.com states that Chicago saxophonist Greene "shows that pop, jazz, and r&b tunes can all exist on a jazz record. Because stripped to its core, it is all music. What a great discovery!" Having honed his craft in the Windy City, Chris Greene has performed and recorded with Common, (Rock and Roll Hall of Famers) Otis Williams and the Temptations, Justin Roberts, Colonel Abrams, Robert Cornelius, Lonie Walker, The J. Davis Trio, Liquid Soul, Jessie de la Pena, Andrew Bird, Jere MacAllister, Kevin O'Donnell, the Mighty Blue Kings, Ron Carroll, Nicholas Barron, Tautologic, Mr. A.L.I., and Steve Cole. His influences include Prince, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Steve Coleman, Maceo Parker,, Stevie Wonder, Roger Troutman, Debussy, Branford Marsalis, A Tribe Called Quest, Vangelis, James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Chaka Khan amongst many others. On "Soul and Science, Volume One", Greene is joined by a phenomenal band: Damian Espinosa-piano, Marc Piane-acoustic bass and Tyrone Blair-drums. JazzChicago.net says, "Greene and his quartet dish up a tasty brew that mixes soul, jazz, R&B and pop into the enjoyable mix.". The kickoff song is a spectacular take on Stevie Wonder's "Boogie On Reggae Woman" which really showcases Greene's virtuosity. And each band member gets a place to shine on the track. Already a live concert favorite, the Greene original " 4.23" with its innovative soul groove and Latin flavor is a highlight of the CD . Finally, Greene and his amazing musical cohorts put new life into songs from legends like Sting, Duke Ellington and Tommy Turrentine. The Chris Greene Quartet are currently on tour in support of "Soul and Science, Volume One". One highlight is a weekly residency at Red Kiva every Sunday from 8 to 11 pm. (Red Kiva is located in Chicago's West Loop neighborhood at 1108 W. Randolph.) HORACE SiLVER CONCERT FROM 1958 UNEARTHED When Horace Silver and Art Blakey formed an unlikely co-operative band called the Jazz Messengers in 1955, their goal was to make jazz accessible again to listeners by infusing their music with a blues and gospel feeling, thus ushering in the hard bop era. When the pair parted ways the next year, each went on to record as leaders, Blakey keeping the name Jazz Messengers and Silver giving birth to his quintet, which until he enlisted trumpeter Blue Mitchell in 1959 went through periodic personnel shifts. In 1956, "Senor Blues" not only made him famous but also a marquee performer. In fact, in 1958, Silver and his recently assembled new quintet-including the supremely talented but under-recognized trumpeter Louis Smith along with tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor and drummer Louis Hayes-headlined the Newport Jazz Festival, performing the final set of the Sunday show with extended renditions of "Senor Blues, " as well as "Cool Eyes" (also from Six Pieces of Silver), "The Outlaw" and "Tippin'." Previously unreleased, this historic concert-a rare official document of Silver in a live setting-sees the light of day for the first time on Blue Note Records as Live at Newport '58. The album is produced by Michael Cuscuna, who originally discovered the documented concert in the Library of Congress' tape archives of the Voice of America broadcasts. He then tracked down a professionally recorded three-track master in Columbia Records' vault (the entire Newport Festival that year was recorded under the supervision of George Avakian). Live at Newport '58 continues the informal Blue Note series of valuable previously unreleased recordings, such as Thelonious Monk Quartet With John Coltrane At Carnegie Hall and Charles Mingus Sextet With Eric Dolphy: Cornell 1964. In his liner notes, Cuscuna writes, "Horace Silver is a dichotomy. He is one of the most meticulous and organized musicians in modern jazz and yet one of the funkiest." Explaining the album's significance, Cuscuna says "I came upon this Newport performance and was struck by the fact that a full performance during Louis Smith's brief tenure with the group existed and that they actually performed 'Tippin, ' a little known Silver original that was recorded three weeks earlier as the flip side of the vocal version of 'Senor Blues.'" Going on to explain how Silver had come up with the song and why he neglected to put it on his next album, Cuscuna says that when he spoke with Silver years later, he told him, "We were between albums, so I thought I should write something for the back side of the single instead of using something off the older albums. I guess that it was forgotten by the time we were planning the next album." Noting that he has high standards as far as fidelity and performance go, Cuscuna says, "I want to continue finding material that offers something unique. This was Horace at his glory. His solos are great and you can hear the way he used to comp, stoking the fire for the rest of the band. Hearing him live, you realize what a great piano player he was. Horace was a perfectionist who didn't like to record live, so this is a rare opportunity to hear him in this setting." Indeed, live recordings are extremely rare in Silver's recorded output. His Blue Note album Doin' The Thing: At The Village Gate from 1961 stands as the only other official live document of Silver in concert that has ever been released. Cuscuna notes further special qualities about Live at Newport '58: "This features unique personnel that includes Louis Smith who is amazing here. He recorded a couple of albums for Blue Note around this time, and then left New York to teach. There's also a unique repertoire, with "Tippin'' and 'The Outlaw, ' which is a great tune that Horace didn't perform regularly and that has been a woefully neglected composition in his canon. This all adds up to special performance that contributes to Horace's legacy." Cuscuna concludes his liners by writing: "It would be easy to call this Horace's golden era, but he never stopped writing great compositions or putting together great bands. But this early chapter in the history of [his quintet] is a wonderful performance and a valuable addition to his discography." SPACE SHUTTLE ATLANTiS USES QUiNCY JONES "WALKiNG iN SPACE' When the Space Shuttle Atlantis launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Thursday, December 6th on its mission to deliver the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory to the International Space Station, Astronaut Leland Melvin will have in tow a copy of Quincy Jones' 1969 Grammy Award winning recording "Walking in Space, " which he will use as his wake-up music during the mission. Commented Melvin, "Quincy Jones is someone who I have a great deal of respect and admiration for and I couldn't think of a more appropriate selection to use as my wake-up music." Melvin's duties on the Shuttle Atlantis mission will be to support three space walks using the robotic arm and install the Columbus laboratory from Atlantis' payload bay to its permanent home on the International Space Station. Commented Jones, "I am truly honored that Mr. Melvin has chosen one of my pieces of work for this momentous occasion. I was inspired to record the 'Walking in Space' album in 1969 after Buzz Aldrin told me that he had played my arrangement of Frank Sinatra's 'Fly Me To The Moon' during his space flight to the moon, so to have it come full circle like this is quite remarkable and very humbling." A jazz-R&B-pop fusion album that helped usher in a new era in R&B music in the early 70's, "Walking in Space" won Jones a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance By a Large Group. Citing his groundbreaking work on "Walking in Space, " in 1998 Time Magazine named Quincy Jones one of the most influential jazz musicians of the 20th Century. In January, Jones will receive the nation's highest jazz honor when he is recognized as a Jazz Master by the National Endowment for the Arts.  TOM TALLiTSCH'S 2ND ALBUM MEDiCiNE MAN Following his self-released album Duality in 2005, Philadelphia area jazz saxophonist and composer, Tom Tallitsch is scheduled to release his second album Medicine Man on February 19, 2008 with Seattle based jazz record company OA2 Records. “Performing articulate, modern jazz, Tallitsch's band explores alternate sonorities with its vibes and guitar led rhythm section of some of Philadelphia's finest musicians, featuring Tony Miceli (vibraphone), Victor Baker (guitar), Paul Gehman (bass) and Dan Monaghan (drums)." --City Hall Records Catalog   JAZZ MY SOUL iS PiCKED AS TOP 25 RELEASE OF 2007 The editors at Indie-music.com have selected "Jazz My Soul" (Rhythm Dynamics Inc.) from thousands of CDs as one of the top 25 independent releases of 2007. Jazz My Soul, by the Jazz Explorers (Rhythm Dynamics) was picked as one of the Top 25 independent releases of 2007 from across all categories of musical CDs by the editors at Indie-music.com. The release has been added to radio and satellite radio playlists in New Orleans and Chicago. This extraordinary project features great performances by a unique gathering of jazz legends, including George Cables, Dave Liebman, Carmen Lundy, Billy Hart, Sonny Fortune, Victor Lewis and Cecil McBee with a strong supporting cast. "Jazz My Soul" propels contemporary mainstream jazz forward with power and subtlety. For further information, reviews and radioplay info please visit www.jazzexplorers.net   NEW iNTERNATiONAL COMPETiTiON FOR EMERGiNG JAZZ COMBOS The International Center for the Arts at San Francisco State University today announced “Generations,” a unique post-graduate Fellowship and International Competition for already-formed combos of aspiring musicians to receive advanced pre-professional training and career preparation from distinguished jazz artists, invaluable performance opportunities, alone and in collaboration with their mentors. This opportunity for an established jazz combo of exceptional promise to obtain a year-long fellowship at San Francisco State University is the only one of its kind in the world. Kicking off in Fall 2007, the one-year fellowship is supported by a company of master jazz musicians including saxophonist Eric Alexander, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, percussionist Jimmy Cobb, bassist Ray Drummond, pianist Ronnie Matthews and the program's artistic director, saxophonist Andrew Speight. Young combos from around the world comprised of three to seven outstanding jazz musicians will compete for the opportunity to become Generations fellows. Members of the selected groups will be accomplished jazz musicians who demonstrate an exceptional level of artistic accomplishment, cohesive ensemble and the potential to benefit from a Generations fellowship experience. Finalist combos will be invited to San Francisco State University in May 2008 for a mini-residency with the Generations mentors, which will culminate with a public performance by all finalists and the selection of one combo to return to San Francisco in Fall 2008 for the beginning of the first one-year fellowship residency. “Our goal is to act as both an incubator and springboard for the winning combo,” said Jeffrey Babcock, executive director of the International Center for the Arts. “These musicians will have an unprecedented opportunity to take their performance to the next level, individually and as a combo while preparing to launch successful careers.” The competition gives high performance combos an unmatched opportunity to showcase their artistry, as well as interact with and learn from musical encounters with other talented ensembles under the guidance of renowned jazz artists. Collaborating with Generations mentors in a variety of venues will contribute in a significant way to the artistic and professional development of each individual musician and ensemble. “We are creating an environment where young musicians will go beyond the walls of the classroom and learn through hands-on mentoring, group collaboration and professional advice,” said Andrew Speight, Generations' artistic director and mentor. “We hope to bring growing artists a greater awareness of possibilities for spontaneous expression when working in a group, and nowhere are the tenets of real-time group creativity better exhibited than in jazz music.” The timeline for the Generations International Competition follows: Mid-November 2007: Guidelines and applications available to combos whose members are less than 30 years old as of May 1, 2007 and whose personnel has been stable for at least twelve months. March 14, 2008: Final date for receipt of applications. April 4, 2008: Finalist combos announced Week of May 12: Finalist combos in San Francisco for mini-residency with Generations' mentors. Saturday, May 17: Finalist combos perform; fellowship combo announced. Fall 2008: Winning combo arrives at San Francisco State University to begin fellowship residency with Generations mentors. Combos interested in applying for the first Generations International Competition may request application information beginning November 12, 2007. Early request for guidelines and applications may be emailed to ica@sfsu.edu with Generations Competition in the subject line. The Generations Mentor Ensemble is an all-star group of professional musicians who have experience shaping the legacy of jazz. Together the group's legacy goes back more than 60 years and spans three of the most creative, vibrant and influential generations of contemporary jazz. Members of the ensemble have been integral to the sounds of Miles Davis, Dinah Washington, Nat and Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, McCoy Tyner, Ray Charles, Benny Carter and the Marsalis Family, among others. Generations' mentors were selected because they learned their art through playing with a group of like-minded musicians who nurtured and explored through collaboration. This vital part of jazz musicianship is what the Generations fellowship strives to provide its up-and-coming ensembles. Believing that the jazz tradition of inspired collaboration is learned through study and practice with a group, these mentors will lay a musical foundation through community. “These three generations of mentors spanning the 1940s to today have played with the best groups and honed their art with the jazz community's greats,” said Speight. This is an opportunity unlike any other for a young ensemble to play with musicians who learned by collaborating with giants and are willing to pass along their wisdom. I can't wait to hear what comes out of this first group of Generations musicians.” The talented and experienced mentor group includes: Eric Alexander, a tough-toned tenor saxophonist known for his sophisticated hard and post-Bop style. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Harold Maburn, Ron Carter, Horace Silver and Nicholas Payton. Marcus Belgrave, a trumpeter and vocalist whose career spans five decades of jazz styles. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Ray Charles, Charles Mingus, Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Jimmy Cobb, an exciting and powerful drummer who has been the foundation of many of the greatest jazz combos and recordings. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Miles Davis, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Wynton Kelly and John Coltrane. Ray Drummond, a buoyant and percussive bassist who has been the heartbeat of many great jazz ensembles. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Johnny Griffin, Billy Hart, David Sanchez and Stephen Scott. Ronnie Mathews, a virtuosic and sensitive piano stylist who has been an inspiration for many important artists. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists including Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon and Freddie Hubbard. Andrew Speight, a clear-toned hard driving alto saxophonist known for his incendiary bebop lines. He has performed and recorded with many leading artists, including Benny Carter, Nat Adderley, Ellis and Branford Marsalis. Generations Fellowship and International Competition, the International Center for the Art's inaugural post-graduate fellowship for gifted artists, builds upon San Francisco State University's half-century of commitment to and leadership in jazz. For decades, the Bay Area's leading jazz artists, including jazz legends Cal Tjader, Paul Desmond, John Handy, and George Duke, received their training at San Francisco State University. The Generations fellowship continues that tradition by providing this significant opportunity for promising jazz ensembles to move from advanced students to sustainable professional ensembles. Led by Generations' Artistic Director and internationally acclaimed jazz saxophonist Andrew Speight, renowned jazz artists serve as artist-mentors to a competitively-selected post-graduate ensemble of gifted young jazz combos (up to five musicians) who are awarded year-long residencies at San Francisco State University. Generations' fellows receive intensive coaching, career development support, and public performance opportunities. Under the guidance of Generations' mentors, the fellows will gain valuable knowledge and experience in navigating the challenges of functioning as a business entity and managing the numerous administrative, promotional, financial and presentation issues that enable a full-time professional jazz combo to thrive in a challenging market. The International Center for the Arts will provide numerous performance opportunities, including national and international competitions during the Residency, and will explore opportunities in publishing, recording, and production of DVDs, webcasts, documentation of workshops, commissioning new work and protection and distribution of today's digital-centered intellectual property. LATiN JAZZ PERCUSSiONiST MAYRA CASALES iS  ON FiRE New York based artist Mayra Casales is among a diverse group of independent musicians named as finalists of the 7th Annual Independent Music Awards. Mayra is truly one of the most versatile and well-rounded percussionists of her generation. Born in Havana, Cuba and raised in Miami, Florida, Mayra's earlier influences began with the Afro-Cuban musical culture of her surroundings. Before long she was performing with some of the biggest names in Latin and Cuban music such as Celia Cruz, Machito, Joe Cuba, and Miguelito Valdez. In 1978, Mayra moved to NYC where she continued her musical journey, playing with soulful vocalists Phyllis Hyman, Carmen Lundy, and Jon Lucien, and Jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Baretto. Her fiery and heartfelt spirit are undeniably present in her divine playing. While Mayra's roots as a Cuban percussionist are strong and refreshing in Mujer Ardiente, this album is a tribute to all of the world music influences and artists who she has had the joy and honor of playing with. IMA Finalists will now advance to the final round of judging by a distinguished group of influential artists and industry insiders. The Judges who will determine this year's IMA Winners include Suzanne Vega; Snoop Dogg, Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers; Les Claypool of Primus; Ray Davies of The Kinks; Susan Tedeschi, Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance; blues legend Charlie Musselwhite; Judy Collins; Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis, MTV Music Supervisor, Carrie Hughes, Kevin Lyman of Vans Warped Tour and many others. IMA Winners and Finalists winners will appear in the 10th Anniversary edition of The Musician's Atlas 2008, on sale December 18, 2007. Regarded as the industry's most comprehensive contact directory, The Atlas is used by independent musicians and entrepreneurs to market and sell music more successfully. Developed and coordinated by Music Resource Group, publisher of The Musician's Atlas, the Independent Music Award program delivers a variety of premiums to Winners including: · Year-long marketing campaigns, partnerships and distribution alliances that will place the Winners in front of millions of music fans and industry decision makers around the world. · The IMA Winners CD compilation will be distributed