mensstyleandallthatjazz

Norfolk State University’s Jazz Brunch

csweetwater — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:50:43 +0000

What a surprise it was to be so extremely entertained early in the morning. I was invited to a jazz brunch at NSU by Dr. Gad Brosch M.D . ,. When you realize that I don’t find pleasure in very much before 12:00 PM. To get to a venue at 9:30 AM and hear the glorious rhythmic sounds of a smoothly pulsating bass and the tinkle of a master on piano, as we walked through the door. This was not your ordinary heavy handed key thumping keyboard player. this was a pair of masters at work. I went to this forum with my attorney, a former jazz musician (vibes Player) and both of us were awe struck by technical brilliance of Dr. Gad Brosch and Gil Cruz , They transformed the jazz standards in a brightly lit room, to the cozy feel of a night club in a booth in the corner in the back, in the dark. Their renderings of each song was filled with skilled musical nuances, that transported you to another place and another time. This was a symposium for “Power To End Stroke’s”. The person that came up with this idea needs to be commended. It was informative, giving awareness of signs of stroke and things to do, both to help and to prevent, manage the conditions and how to deal with strokes, and stroke victim. there was comprehensiveness of structure that made the event flow. they had free blood pressure checks, weight and nutrition workshops, healthy cooking demonstrations and a panel discussion provided by a group of eminent physicians.

They intersperse these activities with 1st rate jazz music provided b Dr. Gad Brosch and Gill Cruz. They were the perfect pairing for not only this event, but almost any forum. The mellow sophisticated interpretations of music by Rogers and Hart, Gershwin, Basie, Ellington, Bernstein to Antonio-Carlos-Jobim. Each tune was excellently performed with a sensitivity and at a skill level that made you want to sit there all day. ,and in the interim they made a bunch of new fans. Might I just add Dr. Gad Brosch is also a highly sought after Physician Gynecologist. I Guest he has good Hands in all he does. CarlSweetwater”Johnson

Mohair Suits: Brighter Spring and Summer

csweetwater — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 16:00:50 +0000

Men’s clothing sometime can be drab but not this year. It seams Mohair is back and bold color are going to be in for this spring. Some of the sport jackets I’ve seen are testing the limits of boldness. I recently saw some of the mohair suits of several manufactures and was impressed. The mohair is always a luxurious look. The appeal is partly the sheen and it light feel, as well as it’s general classic appearance. It is another case of “Every Thing Old is New Again.” Carl”Sweetwater”Johnson

The Oakland Jazz Brunch

csweetwater — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 17:06:06 +0000

Much has been afoot with Oakland’s newly found culinary renaissance over the last few years.

Capping off a full weekend of festival happenings, sf|noir will invite attendees to conclude the event with a trip to Oakland for a jazz brunch at one of Oakland’s latest culinary offerings, Miss Ollie’s! This much anticipated establishment is the new creation from Executive Chef Sarah Kirnon who brought us popular Bay Area establishments like The Front Porch in San Francisco and Hibiscus, also in Oakland.

Audience members will dine to a special Jazz brunch menu while they soak in the sweet jazz sounds of the Marcus Shelby Trio for a wonderful afternoon of great food, jazz and culture to close out the2013 sf|noir Wine & Food Event.

Sunday – February 24, 2013
11-3PM
Cost: FREE entrance (guests responsible for their food and beverages)

Gerald Albright in Concert – Baltimore

csweetwater — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:21:41 +0000

Evening & Formal Attire: Time of Day Dictates Your Jacket

csweetwater — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 05:12:47 +0000

If you watch Downton Abbey enough, you will become clear that there is a right time of day for certain jackets. Okay, you don’t have to admit that you watch but someday knowing when you should be wearing a morning jacket vs an evening may matter. Would you recognize the difference? Morning jackets are commonly worn for noon weddings. Like morning coats, frock coats are only worn for daytime formal events before 5 p.m. and no later than until around 7 p.m. The cut of the Prince Edward jacket is three-quarter length, usually in black or grey, single breasted with four buttons. It is worn with a contrasting trouser in a grey and black stripe or a trouser matching the cloth of the jacket.

In the last few decades, black tie has been increasingly seen in the United States at formal day wedding in place of the traditionalMorning dress. However, etiquette and clothing experts continue to condemn the wearing of black tie before 6 PM. Prior to the late 1930s, black tie was even discouraged as too informal for evening weddings, with Amy Vanderbilt arguing that “no man should ever be caught in a church in a tuxedo.

Below is a helpful guide.

Colognes for Men Rated by Women

csweetwater — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 23:34:50 +0000

In the summer 2012 Esquire magazine featured an article on the best colognes for men, rated by women. Read some quotes by women about the colognes.

Here are a listing of a few

Acqua Di Gio ($75 for 3.4 oz.)
Interlude by Amouage ($214 for 1.7 oz.)
Big Pony by Ralph Lauen ($67.50 for 4.2 oz.) “It smells expensive. It’s rich, filled with flavor. I could see some guy, a country-club kind of guy wearing this — someone who’s all-American.”
Code Ultimate by Armani ($84 for 2.5 oz.) - ”This is romantic. A very self-conscious man who really cares about his looks would probably put this on.”
Amen by Philosophy ($42 for 2 oz.) – A woman said-”It would draw you in. Like, you’d want to sniff closer to someone. It’s alluring. It’s nice. It’s sexy. Meow.”

Jazz King Makers Part I

csweetwater — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 02:20:24 +0000

There were many Jazz king makers. These are the men that assembled the great orchestra of their times. We think of Benny Goodman, Count Bassie, Duke Ellington, Stan Kenton, Eddy Duchin, and many others. However there was another trans -formative figure of that period. His name was Billy Eckstine . He was a great a singer, musician, bandleader and in his day. Furthermore, Eckstine was also a box office idol, that rivaled Frank Sinatra.

He put some the greatest performer together in one band, that became household names themselve’s. It hard to think of a band with artist such as Mile Davis,Sarah Vaughan, Dexter Gordon, Fats Navarro, Sonny Stitt, John Malachi, Oscar Pettiford, Trummy Young , Cecil Payne, and top this off with Dizzy Gilespie.

His was the first big band Bop band, and almost all of the messenger of Bop. He and his band nurtured and helped it to explode into the phenomenon it became. Not only was Eckstine a great singer. he was an awesome trumpeter, trombonist, and he also played guitar.

His talent as a King maker was his exceptional ability to find and put together the most fascinating array talented musicians that ever graced a stage in Bop. He was a true Jazz Musician. Carl”Sweetwater”Johnson

Sherlock Holmes Overcoat Fashion

csweetwater — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:29:00 +0000

It is no mystery, often men like fashion to be easy. See a cool guy on TV like Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and a man will often buy what he wears from head to toe. The British have had quite the invasion of influence with the most successful Bond to date boosting suit sales and the fresh new take on Sherlock Holmes played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Belstaff has successfully given Holmes a 21^st century wardrobe that’s still timelessly stylish. The British heritage brand is responsible for the fantastic Millford overcoat Holmes sports.

Leave it the the British to show us how to dress warmly and with class.

Nederlands: North Sea Jazz Festival

csweetwater — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 00:17:05 +0000

The first edition of the North Sea Jazz Festival took place in 1976 in the Nederlands Congresgebouw in The Hague. Some numbers in those early days: six venues, three hundred artists and about nine thousand visitors. In this very first festival year internationally renowned jazz legends performed, such as Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie and Stan Getz, as well as most Dutch avant-garde artists.

In 2006, the festival moved to its current, bigger, location in Rotterdam. This year, the organisation expects more than a thousand musicians, spread out over 150 performances and thirteen different stages. Though the numbers of visitors were between 65.000 and 70.000 in recent years, the festival still manages to retain its intimate character.

When: July12, 13 & 14

Website: http://www.northseajazz.com/en

The Classic Music of Dave Brubeck Will Endure

csweetwater — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:29:57 +0000

David Warren “Dave” Brubeck (December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He wrote a number of jazz standards, including “In Your Own Sweet Way” and “The Duke”. Brubeck’s style ranged from refined to bombastic, reflecting his mother’s attempts at classical training and his improvisational skills. His music is known for employing unusual time signatures, and superimposing contrasting rhythms, meters, and tonalities.

Los Angeles Times-A titan of West Coast jazz, Brubeck was with California for much of his career. He was born in Concord, studied at what is now is the University of the Pacific in Stockton and recorded for Berkeley-based Fantasy Records, which helped forge the Bay Area’s sound in the ’50s. But regardless of where a listener was based, the Dave Brubeck catalog was an inevitable destination.

Part of the reason is “Time Out,” the aptly named 1959 recording that stands with Miles Davis‘ “Kind of Blue,” Charles Mingus‘ “Mingus Ah Um” and Ornette Coleman‘s “Shape of Jazz to Come” as a groundbreaking album during a pivotal year in the evolution of jazz. Where Davis explored modal structures and Coleman blazed into a new world of saxophone, Brubeck was equally inventive for his experimentation with jazz’s heartbeat. READ MORE

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