jazz

Music fans from all over the southeast just gathered in Birmingham to celebrate an artist you may not know. Headliners like Widespread Panic, Radiohead, and Outkast all say they’ve been influenced by the Alabama jazz pioneer Sun Ra. Here’s how one fan turned his interest in the first ever Sun Ra Day Festival…

Fans of an Alabama jazz pioneer are celebrating his life this week. The first ever so-called Sun Ra* Festival runs through Saturday. Birmingham native Herman Blout changed his name to Sun Ra and went onto to inspire modern musical groups like Outkast, Sonic Youth, Radiohead, and Widespread Panic.

A yearly event showcasing poetry readings and jazz performances is back in Mobile. The annual Gulf Coast Ethnic and Heritage Jazz Festival kicks off on July 25 and runs through July 28. The experience is billed as a celebration of the rich history of jazz and art in the Port City and is meant to promote different types of jazz styles like Southern swing, Latin and bebop.

What’s billed as one of the Southeast’s longest-running, free-to-attend music festivals is back in Tallapoosa County. The 34th annual Alexander City Jazz Festival is set for June 14 and June 15.

Arts Huntsville is inviting the community to return to downtown Huntsville’s Big Spring Park April 26 through April 28 to celebrate the 42nd Panoply Arts Festival.

The 33rd annual Alexander City Jazz Fest is this Friday and Saturday from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday night’s festival is in the city’s historic district at Strand Park. Residents and visitors of Alexander City will gather for two nights of music this weekend.

Watch a live video webcast from coastal New England during the weekend of August 4-5.

Bob Parlocha's current playlist can be found at the Jazz Satellite Network…

From the stage at Newport, Figarova's sextet surveyed an iconic music scene — listeners on the lawn, Narragansett Bay in the background, boats floating in the harbor. Hear the pianist and her European group in a concert from the 2010 Newport Jazz Festival.

By Alisa Beckwith-Ayilliath, Alabama Public Radiohttp://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wual/local-wual-839245.mp3Tuscaloosa, Al – Once known…