Sisters in Harmony Photo Shoot and Book Expo in Coconut Grove July 22

Jazz Ain't Nothin' But Soul by Norman Mapp

Jazz is makin' do with taters and grits Standing up each time you get hit Jazz ain't nothin' but soul From 1968 to 1970, I visited every jazz room in New York City. I went from Slug's in the Far East on 2nd Street between Avenues A and B all the way uptown to Club Baron and Small's Paradise. In the Village, I was at the Blue Note, Village Vanguard and Village Gate. Every Jazzmobile was on my list of things to do, whether it was in Queens, The Bronx, Manhattan or Brooklyn. The memory that has stayed with me throughout my Jazz Excursion is the song given to me on a lead sheet by the composer Norman Mapp who also wrote "Mr. Ugly" and "I Worry 'Bout You". This was in 1983, at Freddy's on the lower east side, when I was petitioning the manager for a night to bring my band there. Norman handed me the song, after we had a long discussion at the bar about my two mentors Betty "Bebop" Carter and Joe Lee Wilson . Both of them recorded an...

Fantastic Musical Kids!

Though music in school is become very scarce, there are some schools still offering kids the great musical experience. Parkway Middle School in Lauderhill, Florida, is one of those schools. On Saturday, October 24, 2010, Women in Jazz South Florida, Inc. produced the Lauderhill Jazz Jam , featuring the Jazz Band and Vocal Ensemble from Parkway Middle School. The band is led by sax man Melton Mustafa, Jr. and the vocal ensemble is led by Lorna Lesperance. These kids blew the audience away and will be our pet project for years to come. See photos at http://wijsf.com/photos.htm Also featured were Sons of MyStro with Umoja and Malcolm McNeish on violins and Jamel Morris-Bailey on guitar. Watch videos of Joan Cartwright and Jazz Hotline and Eugene Grey and Company . Joan Cartwright Executive Director http://www.wijsf.org/

A Civil War Christmas

2017 is racing to a fantastic end! For me, this was a milestone year for my companies and for me, personally. At the top of the list of great accomplishments, I became Dr. Joan Cartwright, after six long years of study, research, writing, and submitting my dissertation in Business Administration/ Marketing. Several things are on the burners for 2018. But the cherry on the Holiday cake was attending the matinee of A Civil War Christmas written by Paula Vogel and directed by Herman LeVern Jones of Theatre South at the Pompano Beach Cultural Center. What was excellent about this stage play was the set design, background visuals, actors, and the music! Ahhh, the music ensemble was such a treat. The string quartet led by Kizie Washington, featuring Marie Manuel and her brother Davon Manuel who conducted and sang, accompanied by pianist Stephanie Colman and vocalist Porshia, set the tone for a tremendous rendition of Vogel's play that included several traditional Christmas songs. Jo...

Cultural Whirl

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