Henry Mancini and friend.(Illustration by Pat Crowley)By Bill MeredithLocation, location, location. It's the well-known rule of real estate, but it also applies to musical institutions of higher learning.Witness the case of the Henry Mancini Institute. Founded by composer/conductor Jack Elliot in 1997 to honor its namesake Grammy-and-Oscar-winning composer (who died in 1994 of … [Read more...]
Music feature: Jazz educators keep the beat alive
Bassist Chuck Bergeron.(Illustration by Pat Crowley) By Bill Meredith"Jazz is not dead," Frank Zappa said in 1973, "it just smells funny."It's documented on the song Be-Bop Tango (Of the Old Jazzmen's Church), from the 1974 live album Roxy & Elsewhere. And the master satirist was playing with one of his jazziest ensembles, which included keyboard-and-vocal icon George Duke … [Read more...]