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~ This Issue ~
Featured
Articles: Jazz
Pianist and Pastor Bill Carter's article, "
Raising the Dead: When jazz brings Christian worship
to life".
"Like the lyrics of biblical psalms, jazz music
suggests an astonishing range of human expression. A
jazz quartet can utter things in the presence of God
that mere words cannot say...". Read
more here!
CJA Network member Eric Copeland's article,
"You Don't Have To Love The Dirt". "We're always so bummed
because what we have to start with doesn't look like
what we want... most
of you see your job, your family, your voice, your
instrument, or your church and think, "This is
isn't what I want! This is NOT my dream". Read
entire article here! (Upcoming
Interview Next Issue): Legendary
drummer/percussionist Alex Acuna shares about
Jazz, spirituality, and what he has been doing
lately! Make sure you don't miss the next issue!!
Now
Here! CJA Compilation CD!
Great new
hot jazz arrangements
of Hymns!
It's
finally here!!!! We are very
proud to announce our first CJA compilation CD
featuring CJA members playing Jazz arrangements of
Hymns! 16 great renditions of Hymns served in a wide
variety of flavors! This is destined to be a
collectors item!! Special
introductory price! For more info or to purchase CD visit
here! Solomon's
Porch Christian Jazz Cafe Gene
and Mildred Toliver have a restaurant in Grand
Prairie, TX where they feature Live Jazz from
Christian Jazz Musicians! Solomon's Porch (Christian
Jazz Cafe), can seat approximately 100 - 110 people.
They
currently have live Jazz on Friday and Saturday
evenings, beginning at 7:00 p.m., Praise and
Worship (Jazzed up arrangements) on Sunday
afternoons, beginning at 4:00 p.m. and will be
adding a spoken word format (poetry / open mic) also
on Sunday evenings, which begins around 6:00
p.m.
Restaurant owner Gene Toliver shares " I listen
to Smooth Pizzazz Internet Radio almost exclusively,
and it has been an excellent resource for us to
reference artists that utilize the Jazz medium to
uplift the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. It's very exhilarating for us!"
Their
web site is still under development but the address
is solomonsporchcjc.com
If you are a Christian Jazz Artists and are
interested in playing there make sure you contact
them!
Wanted!
Instrumentalists
to play in Camp Kirkland's Big Band in Brazil for 10
days in November 2004!
Brad Matheson is
President of a music missions organization based in Atlanta,
Georgia
devoted to connecting Christian musicians to mostly
international missions opportunities. If you are
interested in playing in a great Big Band and
getting the opportunity to visit Brazil and touch
the lives of many over there contact Brad right
away.
Contact him here:
Global
Global
Missions Project - Brad
Matheson
888-77-GLOBAL
or e-mail
Brad@GlobalMissionsProject.com
Welcome
New CJA Members!
We are very
proud to add 5 new CJA members!
We now have 40 Christian Jazz Artists
Members! Make sure you check out the new members
music as well as all the other artists here!
Fletch
Wiley
Fletch
Wiley
is a Grammy award arranger, producer, trumpet
player, flugal horn, and flute player!
Starting back in the 1970's as band leader for Andre
Crouch, Fletch has go on to record 13 solo
instrumental records! Fletch has a new
"live" recording, "Ornaments Of The
Universe" and Alec Acuna, Abe Labrioel, Bill
Maxwell, Loston Harris and other friends join him
for this new release!
It
is a new new "live"
recording, "Ornaments Of The
Universe" and Alec Acuna, Abe Labrioel, Bill
Maxwell, Loston Harris and other friends join him
for this new release! To preview visit
here!
Sean
McCurley
Sean
McCurley
is a drummer of incredible versatility. As the
driving rhythmic force behind Kirk Whalum, Sean can
wield an impressive array of funk, be-bop and
R&B! In addition to playing with Kirk
Whalum, Sean has played or recorded with LeAnn Rymes,
George Duke, Jonathan Butler, Dwight Sills, James
Ingram, Everette Harp, Philippe Saisse, Jeff Golub,
Rick Braun, Marc Antoine, Paula Abdul and Peter
White and many others! For more info on Sean visit
here!
Riley
& Richburg ( R& R!)
Here
is a brand new "inspirational jazz"
phenomenon - the duo of Riley
& Richburg
known as "R&R"! They bring
to the forefront an innovative sound of jazz and
gospel flavors. The multi-talented duo cover many
instruments... Howard on soprano, alto, and tenor
sax, and Terrence on 7-string bass, keyboards, and
the list goes on. They
have worked with Stanley Turrentine, Chuck Magione,
Kirk Whalum, Vanessa Williams, Donnie McClurkin,
Tremaine Hawkins, The Winans , Walter Hawkins,
Patti Labelle, Ashford & Simpson, as well as
many others. Their
new CD release, Ascension "transcends
all expectations as the duo offers spirited grooves
and inspiring improvisations!" To preview visit
here! Chuck
Mandt Chuck
Mandt is
a wonderfully gifted pianist and arranger! He is also
a jazz consultant and coach in the greater Atlanta
area, teaching specially designed courses to teach
jazz improvisation. Chuck is very enthusiastic about
jazz and gospel music. He has played in churches,
restaurants, and many jazz festivals. Chuck can
be found performing around the Atlanta, GA area in
with The Sooz Thomas Trio in Nashville, TN, and with
Sandy Merrill. Chuck is also currently the staff
keyboardist at his home church First Baptist Church,
Douglasville (GA). To preview his music visit
here! Scott
Brookins
Scott
Brookins started playing the trumpet at the young age
of six in Denver, Colorado. His early influences were
Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Doc Severinsen, and Chuck
Mangione. For many years Scott Brookins was a session
musician performing with entertainers such as Glen
Campbell, Mary Wells, George Shearing, The Platters,
The Mills Brothers, and many others.
As
an Evangelist and Trumpet Soloist, Scott has been
serving full time in his international faith ministry
since 1995. He was ordained in 1998. He
is currently living in Central Europe and touring in
the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Poland, and
Hungary where he performs in concert halls, clubs,
orphanages, coffee houses, schools, universities,
refugee camps, conferences, as well as churches. His
music can be heard on many radio stations in the U.S.,
as well as Europe. For more info and to preview his
music visit
here!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Drop
In The Bucket
Someone
might say,
"Well, you Christian Jazz Artists are just a
drop in the bucket"! But wait a minute!
If you have a bucket, those raindrops fill it up
very fast. Being a drop in the bucket is
wonderfully significant!! The problem is that
sometimes we don't realize that the bucket is
there! Remember, "With God, there are no
little people or no little places"!!
So
part of our duty as Christian Jazz Artists is to
make people aware that there is a bucket! I have
been truly amazed to discover the amount of
Christian Jazz Artists that are playing their
music both in the church and outside the church to
the glory of God! All across the country there are
churches that are integrating, (or have already
integrated) jazz into their worship services or
Vesper services. And then Christian Jazz artists
are spreading out into coffee houses ( yes coffee
houses once again!) and other creative venues as
well!
So
I encourage you today to promote the CJA in every
way that you can. Share this newsletter with
anyone you know who might be interested. Listen to
Smooth Pizzazz Radio and share the information
about the radio station as well. Purchase the new
CJA Network Hymn Compilation CD and share the link
where others can purchase it! In all these ways
you can help support the CJA Network and help
others to tune in to what we are
"jazzed" about!
As you can see Christian
Jazz Artists are very busy celebrating their gifts!
We are jazzed about
life...
We are jazzed about God!
Celebrate today and savor
the music!
"Just
imagine: a joyful Jesus! Haven't we had enough of grim
religion?"
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Swing
a New Song to the Lord!
Excellent
printed collection of jazz arrangements of
congregational music from over a dozen prominent jazz
composers and arrangers! Check it out here!
Resources
for Jazz Worship
Great
arrangements from Anderkamp Music that are accessible to the average church
orchestra! Check it out here!
THE
JAZZ HYMNAL BY CHUCK
MAROHNIC
Thought
provoking, yet highly singable jazz material for use
in the Sanctuary!
Preview
them here
Songs
Of David Jazz Worship Songs & Charts
Preview
them here
Jazz
Psalms
Daniel
Richardson & Angel Napieralski
Preview
them here
New Resources
for Jazz Worship!
Our
Jazz Worship Page is the place to get the very best
charts for your church band or Orchestra anywhere on
the Internet! Fresh new material to preview as well
as "jazzed up" Hymn arrangements are
available!
Big
Band ~ Ensembles ~ Praise Band
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JAZZ FOR JESUS
God Grooveth on Wednesdays
by Nathan Thornburgh
LOCATED across the street from One Union Plaza, just a short walk from the corporate headquarters of Safeco and Seafirst, the Plymouth Congregational Church on Sixth Avenue preaches to a tough crowd. After all, Seattle's
financial district is undoubtedly sponsored by Greed, the fifth Deadly Sin. On the other hand, to reap the souls of the Captains of Industry is to strike the devil a mighty blow.
Jazz, the sophisticated, mellow genre known to attract professionals between the ages of 30 and 65, is the perfect hook for Plymouth's Wednesday lunchtime services. The Gig for God begins exactly at noon,
without a clergyman in sight.
The trio behind the altar starts up a bluesy version of "Holy Land." Susan Pascal, classically-trained and demure, waxes the vibraphone with four mallets at a time. The nightclub veteran Phil Sparks, plunking and bowing at the stand-up bass, gives a nod to Murl
Allen Sanders. Sanders, a multi-instrumentalist with Seattle's largest glamrock hairdo, picks up the tune on the grand piano.
One by one, the faithful trickle in. Although the occasional power tie can be seen, the targeted corporate audience is outnumbered by casually
dressed regulars. By the time the second tune, "Water from an Ancient Well," starts cooking, the pews are creaking under the shifting weight of some 30 congregants. Susan Pascal takes a soft-handed vibes solo and hands off to Sanders, whose fast fingers and bright voicings pull the assembly further into the groove. The trio gently squeezes the song to an end, and the toe-tapping stops without a touch of applause. It's 12:10 p.m., and the Reverend Tony Robinson has arrived.
Reverend Robinson, with a booming, fatherly voice, preaches the story of Saul's conversion and recalls a time when Christians
were persecuted, ect. There's time for a quick nap before the trio breaks in with a buttery version of "Nearer My God to You." It's 12:40, and the trio is going to finish things with an instrumental take on "Creator God We Sing."
At the end of the set the applause finally breaks out. Although Jazz
Worship Wednesdays are designed to bring God to the Godless, the fine trio has also done the important work of bringing jazz to the jazzless.
Drops
in the bucket add up!!
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