jazz: Celebs Rumors

Tony Bennett has passed away. The prolific, generation-spanning crooner died at home in Manhattan this morning (July 21) after a well-publicized, years-long battle with Alzheimers disease, his publicist Sylvia Weiner has confirmed.

Tony Bennett has sadly passed away.

Carmel Dagan Tony Bennett, the master pop vocalist who climaxed a professional career spanning eight decades with a No. 1 album at age 85, died on Friday morning in New York City. He was 96.Bennett, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, but had continued to perform and record.His peer Frank Sinatra called him the greatest popular singer in the world. His recordings – most of them made for Columbia Records, which signed him in 1950 – were characterized by ebullience, immense warmth, vocal clarity and emotional openness. A gifted and technically accomplished interpreter of the Great American Songbook, he may be best known for his signature 1962 hit “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”

Addie Morfoot Contributor The Better Angels Society, the Library of Congress, and the Crimson Lion/Lavine Family Foundation have selected six finalists for the fifth annual Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film. Notably, veteran filmmaker Sam Pollard received two of the six noms.  The award, established in 2019, recognizes late-stage documentaries that use original research and a compelling narrative to tell stories that bring American history to life through archival materials. The six projects that were selected are: Barak Goodman’s “Buckley,” Nicole London’s “The Disappearance of Miss. Scott,” Sam Pollard’s “The Harvest,” Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn’s “Drop Dead City – New York on the Brink in 1975,” Sam Pollard and Ben Shapiro’s “Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes,” and Jason Cohn’s “Modernism Inc.: The Eliot Noyes Design Story.”

J. Kim Murphy Adult Swim has greenlit “Lazarus,” a new Toonami series from renowned anime director Shinichirō Watanabe, known for his work helming episodes of “Cowboy Bebop,” “Samurai Champloo” and “Kids on the Slope.” Produced by anime studio MAPPA, “Lazarus” also recruits the contributions of “John Wick” series director Chad Stahelski, who designed several action sequences for the series, along with the musical talents of saxophonist Kamasi Washington; producer, DJ and musician Floating Points; and producer, DJ and musician Bonobo. The trio will provide a jazz and electronic score for the project. Watanabe will pull the curtain back on the series at the Adult Swim Festival in San Diego on Saturday at 5:15 p.m., as part of the Comic-Con event Toonami on the Green.

Doja Cat has been teasing a change to her sound for some time now, and in a new interview has elaborated on her declaration earlier this year that there will be “no more pop” in her output.“I do not consider myself a rock star”, she tells V Magazine, when asked if she was becoming more rock n roll based on the outfit worn for the article’s photoshoot. “I have made pop music.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at Large Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast hosts Michael Schneider, Clayton Davis, Emily Longeretta and Jazz Tangcay gathered on Wednesday, just hours after the Television Academy announced this year’s Emmy nominations, to dissect the news — from the big winners like “Succession,” to the shocking omissions (no Harrison Ford or Elizabeth Olsen), and then the nice surprises (wow, “Jury Duty”!). The nominations were telling on a number of fronts — including the current assessment that we may very well see a beat “Succession”/”Ted Lasso” dominance. Did the voting procedural changes help bring in a wider group of nominees? No. And will voters pick straight tickets of “Succession” and “Ted Lasso” nominees? Quite possible. Who will win the “SNL”/”Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” smackdown? What are our favorite faceoffs this year? (How can one pick between birthday celebrations for Norman Lear and Carol Burnett, for example?)

—are hitting the site, and we can basically guarantee they’ll sell out before long.If you’re new to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, here’s the lowdown. It’s one of the best times to buy anything from the retailer.

The Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One press tour is coming to a close as the movie is about to hit theaters everywhere!

The Lincoln Lawyer starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo returned for its second season this month.Created by David E. Kelley, the legal drama series follows LA defense attorney Mickey Haller (Garcia-Rulfo) who takes on cases from his chauffeur-driven Lincoln Navigator instead of an office.Other cast members include Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson and Christopher Gorham.

Jon Batiste has announced details of his new album, World Music Radio. The album will be released on August 18 and features an array of guest stars, including Lana Del Rey, Kenny G, Lil Wayne, Fireboy DML, and NewJeans among others.

Sir Rod Stewart performed tonight at Edinburgh Castle Esplanade delighting fans with his incredible show, despite the rain.

The Lincoln Lawyer starring Manuel Garcia-Rulfo returns for its second season this month.Based on the books by Michael Connelly, the legal drama series follows LA defense attorney Mickey Haller who takes on cases from the backseat of a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Navigator instead of an office.Other cast members include Neve Campbell, Becki Newton, Jazz Raycole, Angus Sampson and Christopher Gorham. New cast additions for season two include Yaya DaCosta, Lana Parrilla and Angelica Maria.The second season is based on the fourth book in the series, titled The Fifth Witness, and is split into two parts.The first five episodes will drop on Netflix on Thursday July 6 at 8am BST in the UK.

Sarah Jayne Dunn had all eyes on her as she stepped out in Manchester. The former Hollyoaks actress made a stylish appearance at the launch party for Gordon Ramsey's new restaurant, Lucky Cat.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor The Alliance of Women Directors has named Melanie Mack as its new executive director. AWD is a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles that advocates for women directors in film, television and new media. Mack, who is CEO of Codega Media — a multi-media company she founded in 2016 which produces and curates content created by women — will lead the member organization in its efforts to increase opportunities for women and nonbinary directors working in the screened content industry through robust advocacy, craft development programs and mentorship.

Todd Gilchrist editor Nestled into a cozy corner of a shopping center high in the Hollywood hills, Herb Alpert’s jazz club Vibrato Grill was the site of a coronation Sunday for not one but three musical luminaries. The Jazz Foundation of America honored 10-time Grammy-winning composer and pianist Dave Grusin, saxophonist Charles Lloyd and trailblazing music executive Clarence Avant at a benefit to raise proceeds for jazz, blues and R&B musicians facing financial hardship due to unemployment, illness or old age. Though host Quincy Jones was unable to attend due to unspecified health issues of his own, he and the JFA assembled a program of speakers and performers for an evening of celebration and song that the phrase “star-studded” barely does adequate justice.

It’s starting to feel like the early ’00s as Nelly and Ashanti continue to fuel rumours of a rekindled romance.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Unless you’ve got a “Succession”-sized story of ludicrous wealth combined with horrible behavior, it can be very challenging for a documentarian to make the life of an executive seem exciting — even one as colorful as that of Ron Delsener, one of the greatest concert promoters of all time… which is what makes “Ron Delsener Presents,” a documentary on that colorful life, all the more impressive. While the 90-odd-minute doc is a bit overlong and based largely on wealthy old music-biz veterans telling war stories from their rough-and-tumble years, director Jake Sumner uses deep research, fascinating concert and other archival footage, animation and snappy editing to create a very entertaining, if slightly smoothed-over, film that doubles as a sort of mini-history of the American concert business.

Emiliano De Pablos French-Argentinian actress Anais Weill (“Emily in Paris,” “Black Box”) and Spain’s Dariam Coco (“Money Heist,” “Welcome to Eden”) are set to star in Spanish-U.K. sci-fi thriller series “Border Station.” Top Spanish indie producer-distributor Vertice 360 is teaming with Madrid’s Anacaona Productions and London-based Born Wild to co-produce the project, which is at development stage. The six-episode, one hour TV drama was created by Born Wild founder Anthony Alleyne (“Sunburn”). Anacaona’s Vianessa Castaños has been tapped to serve as showrunner and lead writer, alongside France-based author Geoff Dupuy-Holder (“Dark Sense”). 

The Smile have shared a new song titled "Bending Hectic." The song was debuted by the band, made up of Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood alongside Tom Skinner, at Montreux Jazz Festival last year. However, the track did not appear on the band's live album from that performance and has become a favorite among hardcore fans.

Six West Lothian dancers will be out to secure global success for Scotland at the Dance World Cup.

Grammy award.“Only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration for, nominated for, or win a Grammy Award. A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any Categories,” a description of the measure reads [via Exclaim].Despite this, a piece of music that has had some assistance from AI is permitted: “The human authorship component of the work submitted must be meaningful and more than de minimis.” This means that artists may use AI as an aid but the human contribution must be the most significant.There are no details on how the Academy intends to prove if AI is used and what is exactly is considered “more than de minimis” regarding the human element.It appears that the move has come amid conversations on the ethics of creativity and AI.

The first trailer for The Lincoln Lawyer season two is here!

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music Grammys Reduce Album, Song, Record of the Year and Best New Artist From 10 to Eight Nominees As it does every year, the Recording Academy has updated its rules and guidelines following its semiannual board of trustees meeting, and while three new categories were announced earlier this week, one major change was unveiled today among several less-impactful ones: The four top categories — album, song and record of the year and best new artist — have been reduced to eight categories from 10. An AI-related rule was also introduced, which effectively states that only human creators are eligible for awards, but, like all things AI, requires an extensive series of caveats to cover the vast possibilities that the technology makes possible in this still-developing area; the full list appears below.)

said in a conversation with Bloomberg, “it's weird to say I'm head of household because, in this , we split everything 50/50,” a statement she reiterated on the Black Millionaires podcast, per .Her statement caused confusion on Twitter, where users noted that, as part-owner of the Utah Jazz, Wade is worth significantly more than his wife (they're both multi-millionaires, though). In a unpacking the responses, Juliet Williams, a gender studies professor at UCLA, pointed out that assumptions about gender roles play a part in this conversation, and also noted that "Anybody who’s ever done a good honest day's work knows there's a tremendous sense of agency and autonomy and self-respect that no one should have to give up even if they happen to be married to someone that’s very rich.’’ Union works hard! Maybe she likes knowing she's an equal contributor to the household!To address the story, Wade went on the Club Shay Shay podcast and elaborated on the family's different responsibilities, totally backing Gabrielle Union up.

2024 GRAMMY Awards will feature three new categories.The Recording Academy announced on Tuesday that next year's 66th annual GRAMMY Awards will include trophies for Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording. Additionally, the GRAMMYs are moving two categories -- Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical and Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical — to the General Field, allowing all GRAMMY voters to cast their vote for the categories.«The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process,» said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, in a press release. «These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape.»«By introducing these three new Categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists — and relocating the Producer Of the Year and Songwriter Of The Year Categories to the General Field ensures that all our voters can participate in recognizing excellence in these fields,» the statement continues. «We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these Categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.»Read more about the new categories below: A track and singles category that recognizes recordings that utilize unique local expressions from across the African continent.

Even Chris Hemsworth fanboys over some celebs. The action superstar is opening up about his unabashed love for Ed Sheeran after seeing him in concert three times in a matter of months.

The Recording Academy has added three new categories for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards including Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Pop Dance Recording.

Jem Aswad Executive Editor, Music The Recording Academy has added three new categories for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, it announced today: Best African Music Performance, Best Alternative Jazz Album, and Best Pop Dance Recording. Last year’s new additions included songwriter of the year and song for social change. Additionally, the existing categories of producer of the year, non-classical and songwriter of the year, non-classical will be moved to the general field — meaning that all Grammy voters will be allowed to vote in those categories, which previously were “craft” or specialized categories, along with engineering, packaging and the like, for which only members working in those areas voted.

Carole Horst Animation producer and distributor GKIDS has acquired all North American rights to the music-driven anime feature “Blue Giant.” The film, an adaptation of the manga of the same name, is directed by Yuzuru Tachikawa (“Mob Psycho100,” “Death Parade,” “Detective Conan: The Black Iron Submarine”). Number 8, the editor of the original “Blue Giant” manga written by Shinichi Ishizuka, penned the script. In “Blue Giant,” former high school basketball player Dai Miyamoto discovers a love for jazz, and determines to learn the saxophone. He hits the jazz clubs of Tokyo in his quest to be the best sax player in the world. Dai launches a trio with cocky but talented pianist Yukinori, with Dai’s friend Shunji on the drums. But he soon learns that life as a professional musician is harder than it looks from the outside.

RELEASESYungblud has released new single ‘Lowlife’. “I wrote ‘Lowlife’ because I just didn’t want to leave my house”, he says. “I was sick of people, of games, of myself, my friends, anytime I did anything some idiot had an opinion about it.

—are already hitting the site.If you’re new to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, here’s the lowdown: It’s one of the best times to buy anything from the retailer, basically the equivalent of Black Friday in July. The preview begins July 3 and the sale opens to the public from July 17 to August 6.

Egypt has banned Dutch archaeologists from the country amid a dispute over the portrayal of black American entertainers as rulers of Ancient Egypt. Officials in the North African country have reportedly grown tired of comparisons between Queen Nefertiti - the wife of pharaoh Akhenaten - and R&B superstar Beyonce. Singer Beyonce, 41, who is also known as Queen Bey, famously appeared dressed as Nefertiti at the Coachella festival in 2018, even selling merchandise dedicated to her.

Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic George Winston, one of the bestselling instrumental pianists in the world during his heyday in the 1980s and ’90s, died Sunday at age 73. The announcement came through his social media and website and said he “painlessly left this world while asleep” following a decade-long battle with cancer. “George courageously managed serious cancers, including having a successful bone marrow transplant for Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) in 2013 at City of Hope, in Duarte, California, that gratefully extended his life by 10 years,” said the announcement. “Throughout his cancer treatments, George continued to write and record new music, and he stayed true to his greatest passion: performing for live audiences while raising funds for Feeding America to help fight the national hunger crisis along with donating proceeds from each of his concerts to local food banks.”

Quincy Jones, George Michael and more.News of her death was broken by her granddaughter, Sofia, who announced the update with a post on Instagram. “I’m here to bring you the sad news that my grandmother became a star today, and is next to my grandfather João Gilberto,” she wrote (as translated from Portuguese).“She was a pioneer and the best.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Astrud Gilberto, the smooth-voiced Brazilian singer whose version of “The Girl From Ipanema” introduced bossa nova to much of the world and is likely one of the most recognized popular hits of all time, has died, according to the Guardian. No cause of death has been reported; she was 83. The daughter of a German father and a Brazilian mother, the singer was born Astrud Evangelina Weinert in Bahia in 1940 and mostly raised in Rio de Janeiro. She married bossa nova pioneer/ singer-guitarist João Gilberto in 1959, and although the marriage lasted only a few years, but she kept his name. In 1963, she joined him on a trip to New York to record the “Getz/Gilberto” album with jazz saxophonist Stan Getz. She ended up singing “Girl From Ipanema” inadvertently: Producer Creed Taylor had wanted to record an English version of the Brazilian song “Garota De Ipanema” and Astrud, whose father taught languages, was the only Brazilian at the session who spoke English. It was the first song she’d ever recorded, but her un-studied, lighthearted take on the song’s unforgettable melody turned it into a monumental international hit, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Song Of the Year.