May 3, 2022 12:38 PM
Ron Carter Reminisces on the Eve of 85th Gala
On May 10, the iconic bassist-composer Ron Carter will be fêted in an 85th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall. With…
Dr. John (pictured) is among the performers who will salute producer Tommy LiPuma on June 23 as part of the Tri-C Jazz Festival in Cleveland.
(Photo: Bruce Weber)The city of Cleveland will honor a hometown hero when Tommy LiPuma, one of the most successful producers in jazz history, will be feted with a special 80th birthday concert featuring performances by Diana Krall, Al Jarreau, Dr. John, Leon Russell and the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra on June 23.
Billed as Tommy LiPuma’s Big Birthday Bash, the show will kick off the 37th annual Tri-C Jazz Fest (June 23–25) at Cleveland’s Connor Palace at Playhouse Square.
LiPuma is widely acknowledged as an innovator in the music industry, respected for his keen ear and knack for identifying new talent. His career milestones include stints at such venerable institutions as A&M, Blue Thumb, Warner Bros. and Elektra. He was also president of The GRP Recording Co. and chairman of The Verve Music Group.
As a producer, LiPuma has collaborated with Miles Davis, Natalie Cole, George Benson, Sir Paul McCartney and Barbra Streisand.
LiPuma, a native of Cleveland, has produced albums that have combined for sales in excess of 75 million units. Additionally, LiPuma has won five Grammy awards among his 36 nominations.
Beginning as a professional saxophone player, LiPuma became a record promoter in his mid-20s, joining M.S. Distributors in Cleveland in 1960. He made his recording debut with the O’Jays in 1965 and went on to become the very first A&R man at the just-launched A&M Records.
In 2012, the board of trustees of Cleveland’s Cuyahoga Community College named the campus arts center the Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts in recognition of LiPuma’s support of the college and its students. Though he currently lives in New York, he continues to serve the college as a guest lecturer and faculty adviser.
LiPuma produced the forthcoming album by trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, whose Short Stories is due out June 10 on Mack Avenue. The recording marks the first time that nationally recognized artists, engineers and producers have made an entire album at Tri-C’s Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts. Farinacci, who is also a Cleveland native, first met LiPuma at age 16, when he was a participant in the Tri-C Jazz Studies program.
In addition to Tommy LiPuma’s Big Birthday Bash, the 2016 Tri-C Jazz Festival will include performances by pianist Chick Corea (June 24), David Sanborn and Maceo Parker (June 24), Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective (June 25), Melissa Aldana and Somi (June 25) and more.
For a complete lineup, visit the festival’s website.
Bassist-composer Ron Carter turns 85 on May 4.
May 3, 2022 12:38 PM
On May 10, the iconic bassist-composer Ron Carter will be fêted in an 85th birthday celebration at Carnegie Hall. With…
Meghan Stabile was the founder of Revive Music Group.
Jun 21, 2022 11:37 AM
Meghan Stabile, a promoter, presenter and producer, died on June 12 in Florida at age 39. The apparent cause was…
“I have no concept of what I did before! That’s irrelevant,” Ibrahim said. “I can’t change anything. I can’t change the past, I can’t change the future, I can only deal with what is now.”
May 9, 2022 2:52 PM
It is 2022. The pandemic lingers, yet life is moving forward in unexpected ways.
The necessary move to video…
The Detroit Jazz Festival has announced its lineup for Labor Day weekend during a livestream preview event that included a live performance from the 2022 Artist-in-Residence Chucho Valdés.
May 24, 2022 10:25 AM
The Detroit Jazz Festival has announced its lineup for Labor Day weekend during a livestream preview event that…
Bounce pioneers Mannie Fresh and Big Freedia and other guests join Galactic on “Act Like You Know.”
May 31, 2022 12:07 PM
Anyone who has spent time in New Orleans knows why it is also known as The City That Care Forgot. Between the music and…