THE JAZZ NETWORK ~ "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG"
Faith's Page
Profile Information
- Marital Status
- In A Relationship
- Where are you located?
- Nevada
- Tell us a little about you....
- Love music! Love Eva Cassidy! Love the SAX!
- How did you hear about the Jazz Network?
- exe cute
- Website:
- http://www.myspace.com/escalios
Eva Cassidy
Cassidy also performed backing vocals on D.C. go-go funksters E.U.'s Livin' Large album (singing all of her own harmony parts to give the illusion of a choir) and, later, on gangsta rapper E-40's "I Wanna Thank You."
In 1991 Biondo played a tape of Eva to Chuck Brown, best known as a "Go-Go" singer, although he is also an accomplished jazz and blues vocalist. This led to the first commercial recording of Cassidy, the duet album The Other Side, which featured performances of classic songs such as "Fever", Billie Holliday's "God Bless the Child" and Eva's signature tune "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". In 1993 the two began performing around the D.C. area together; helped by Brown's outgoing showmanship, Cassidy finally began to lose some of the insecurity and intense fear that usually kept her away from live performance. Several record labels showed interest in signing Cassidy, but her recordings were too eclectic, covering folk, jazz, blues, gospel, R&B, and pop/rock. Unable to categorize her, she remained unsigned.
In September 1993, Eva Cassidy had a malignant mole removed from below her neck. It was a harbinger of things to come. In early 1994, Blue Note showed some interest in teaming Cassidy with a jazz-pop outfit from Philadelphia called Pieces of a Dream. They recorded the single "Goodbye Manhattan" together, and Cassidy toured with them, but didn't really care for their style and returned to D.C., playing more gigs on her own At the end of the year, she won a local music award for traditional jazz vocals.
Unable to secure a record deal, Biondo and Cassidy's manager decided to record an album themselves. In January 1996, Cassidy did two performances at the D.C. club Blues Alley, and despite her dissatisfaction with the quality of her performance, the album Live at Blues Alley was compiled from the recordings and released that year to much acclaim in the D.C. area. It would be the only solo album to appear during Cassidy's lifetime.
Painting murals at elementary schools during the summer of 1996, and began experiencing problems with her hip. Cassidy assumed was related to her frequent use of stepladders at work. Tests revealed that her hip was broken, and further tests revealed the melanoma from several years before had spread to her lungs and bones. Cassidy started chemotherapy, but it was too late. She died of melanoma in November of 1996 at the age of 33, leaving behind a scant few recordings.
D.C.-based Celtic folk singer Grace Griffith finally found some interest in releasing Cassidy's music at the label she recorded for, Blix Street. In April of 1998, Los Angeles-based Blix Street Records released Songbird, a posthumous album that featured tracks from Live At Blues Alley and Eva by Heart (a studio album released locally in the D.C. area in late 1997), along with Eva's re-defining version of "Over the Rainbow" from The Other Side (Eva's 1992 duet album with Chuck Brown). Despite making a number of noted music critics' year-end Top Ten lists in 1998 and earning Record of the Year honors on England's BBC Radio 2, the CD lingered in obscurity for a few years until being given airplay on the BBC. In 2001 both the album and the single "Fields of Gold" reached number one status in the U.K. Sting, the songwriter for "Fields of Gold" was reported moved to tears when he heard Cassidy's version of this song.
Eva Cassidy's recorded legacy continues. In March 2001 the ABC's "Nightline" (US) broadcast a well-received short documentary about Eva Cassidy. A similar broadcast occurred on ITV's "Tonight with Trevor McDonald" (UK) in May 2001. In 2002, figure skater Michelle Kwan brought Cassidy's music to a new audience when she skated to Eva's recording of "Fields of Gold" at the Winter Olympics gala (and then later on tour during the northern summer of 2002). In 2003, American Tune became Eva's third consecutive Number 1 album in the UK, something no other posthumous artist has ever done.
Faith's Photos
INSPIRATIONAL CORNER
Uncle Hugh 'Peanuts' Whalum is my 80 year-old uncle who has FORGOTTEN more about jazz than I've even learned yet! He released his CD "Introducing Hugh 'Peanuts' Whalum" after gigging in the St. Louis scene for over 55 years! Needless to say his voice, his saxophone, his piano... like a fine, aged Merlot. His energy?! I dare not try and keep up. I'm on stage falling asleep by the time he gets going good – cut from a different cloth. Arnette, Coleman, Hamp, Hank... fine cloth.
Why do I bring them up? Because they represent something really important that we now get to enjoy, like they did back then, but now through technology on sites like this, that we've been missing.
The good news, since family – in this case JAZZ FAMILY – and relationships are much more important, more fulfilling... is that I feel RICHER knowing and following you guys music on THE JAZZ NETWORK!
Sincerely,
Kirk WHALUM
www.kirkwhalum.com
"Congratulations on your creativity, energy and dedication to Jazz, knowing and have worked with your Dad ~ its all in the genes".
~Clem De Rosa
Professional Musician, Educator, Arranger, Composer and Band Leader
Birthdays
Birthdays Today
ADVERTISE YOUR ARTISTRY, BUSINESS OR EVENT HERE ON THE JAZZ NETWORK!
Give the gift of some of The Jazz Network Members music for the Holidays!!
Just click your favorite artist, its as easy as 1-2-1-2-3-4!! :-)
Available on iTunes and www.fredricklevore.com
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The Jazz Network Holiday Promotion offers its members a spot on the front page to display your CD cover for immediate click-thru for purchase for holiday gifting! Feel free to contact Jaijai for details for now is a good time to start promoting Holiday sales!
If you have interest in having a featured spot, want to be spotlighted, promote a 'gig' or CD release party with a flyer or banner, stream your gigs live from a venue worldwide, give a shout-out for any reason ~ post a press release...have a business we should know about?... or even a "sneak peek" of your upcoming release? How about managers looking for artists, or indie labels looking for submissions...This is the place to do it!
Jaijai is also making herself available to help you promote your artistry with marketing tips that will take you to the next level.
If you are interested in becoming a client, please let her know.
If you want your page designed with your CD cover and special slideshows, or that 'extra special touch' Jaijai will also lend her design skills to those that want that 'extra splash' to their pages.
Contact her here on the site to discuss your creative thoughts!
Happy Networking!
:-)
Artwork courtesy of Jeff Laibson
SPOTLIGHTED ARTISTS
Finding THE JAZZ NETWORK has been an amazing experience for Musique Noire. The opportunity to not only gain exposure among the jazz community, but to also learn and network with others in the jazz world has been invaluable. It is a place where we are all treated equally, whether one is a major label act or an indie artist, whether one plays traditional jazz or any of the "branches" of the jazz Family "tree".
Musique Noire is honored to be spotlighted here and are deeply grateful to Jaijai for creating this wonderful world. We're here to stay!
~ Musique Noire
Jaijai, what a wonderful mission you've undertaken to create such a place for artistic minds to meet and share their hearts. A place to renew faded determinations, and revive lessened momentums. A place to display our wares and reconfirm to one another that we actually are on the right track.
I commend you, Jaijai, for caring so much that you created this castle of the heart for all of us. I want to share my praise for all of the new friends as well as old friends that I've met and will meet here in our castle. Here we can garnish the where-with-all, the strength, the conviction, and the selflessness through our symbiosis, to share our gift to the world with an unbiased agenda.
My mentor, Daisaku Ikeda says of art: "A beautiful flower delights and refreshes the hearts of all people equally, no matter what soil it grows in. That is the power of beauty. The same is true of great art. It is this spirit that the German poet Heinrich Heine sang of when he wrote that once the peapod bursts open, the sugar peas inside are for everyone to enjoy."
Let's be audacious, my friends!
Buster Williams
"It was a pleasure to be featured on the Jazz Network Main Page. This Network is a unique forward step for independence, contact and conversation between artist, promoters/agents and fans.
Thank you Jaijai for offering a professional meeting place. I've met new musicians and rediscovered old friends I haven't seen or heard from in years. May we all continue to expand this network.
~ Will Calhoun
"I think that what Jaijai Jackson has done with the Jazz Network shows how the eternal love for this music is passed down from generation to generation. The fire her father lit in her has burned brightly and has inspired her to pass this torch on to future generations. I'm very proud to be featured and I'm very happy that Jazz has a voice and spirit like Jaijai looking after it."
~ Ron Kearns
I am so honored to be on The Jazz Network with so many wonderful and dedicated musicians. Jazz is the truly American art form and as I travel to other countries I find that their appreciation for jazz is really uplifting. There are so many excellent jazz musicians around the world now and The Jazz Network is helping us to find each other. Thank goodness for people like Jaijai who have dedicated so much time and effort to keep the jazz community together and for opening doors to us that we may never have found.
Regarding education in jazz, having done Master Classes in many places I find students need to take time and learn from the Masters and LISTEN. They should go back in history to appreciate ALL styles of jazz and its development. They need to learn melodies and lyrics (yes, even instrumentalists need to know lyrics) and that jazz is not just a series of modes and riffs. I think The Jazz Network can be an excellent tool for that also.
Thank you Jaijai...you are awesome!
~ Lenore Raphael
"Thank you Jaijai for creating a space for the likes of me! I truly enjoy being featured here and really hope it can give me new contacts and opportunities.
Keep up the good work!"
~ Patrick Rydman
Sweden
"The Jazz Network has come into being at just the right time. I believe that we are forever in need of spiritual and artistic enrichment and the way I see it, music, particularly jazz music, is all about the spirit. The Jazz Network allows us to reach out to our fellow artists across the world, in a way that has not been seen before, enlightening us as to who's out there making hip and happening music and helping to shape the culture. Whether artists approach this music from traditional perspectives or attempt to create new and radical sub-genres of jazz, the Jazz Network
is providing exposure, performance and recording opportunities that we might never have found on our own.
The Jazz Network is an amazing resource for the Jazz community. I'm
honored and happy to be a part of it.
Jaijai, thanks for your faith and what you're doing for the jazz community"
Best,
Nicolas
It’s a rare occasion when you meet someone who you feel a real connection to … Someone who possesses a kind spirit, unyielding generosity and a dedication to the jazz community beyond expectations.
Jaijai, thank you so much for creating such a fantastic website for the jazz community. You’ve helped artists connect with each other around the world.
I’m proud to have The Jazz Network be the first site to promote my latest recording. Words cannot express my gratitude to you for your dedication to the music and the artists.
With much love and gratitude,
Denise Donatelli
Hi Jaijai,
Stopping by to show you some love and tell you just how much I appreciate all you've been doing here, not just for me but for this incredible community of jazz musicians. I see that The Jazz Network is growing in leaps and bounds daily and want you to know that I recognize the importance of what's going on here, musicians having a place to connect with each other, young musicians having a place to meet and be mentored by musicians who have been around the block. You've created a beautiful space here and it's obvious that folks are feeling very much at home. Thanks for sharing your time, your heart, your soul. This is a huge commitment and you've taken it on with such determination. I wish you and The Jazz Network continued success and support you in all you're doing.
~ Marcus
© 2008 Created by Jaijai Jackson aka. "Woman of Jazz"
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Comment Wall (12 comments)
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I appreciate it!
All the best to you.
Peace, Luiz
Luizsantosmusic.com
Jae
If you love jazz, you're going to love The Jazz Network. You'll hear lots of great jazz on members' pages.
Welcome!
Mikayla
MikaylaGilbreath.com
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