Recently, the 36th annual Tri-C Jazz Festival wrapped up three days of concerts, lectures and educational programs. Just before the start of the event, we invited the Festival's Artist in Residence, bassist John Clayton into our ideastream studios for a taping of the Sound of Applause, heard on 90.3 WCPN. Besides playing bass, Clayton has arranged music for Diana Krall, Whitney Houston, Carmen McRae, Joe Williams, Quincy Jones and others. He was joined by his brother Jeff, an accomplished jazz saxophonist.
Jazz trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, who also performed at the 2015 Tri-C Jazz Fest, was in town not long ago working on his latest album with veteran music producer Tommy LiPuma, at the Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts on the Tri-C Metro campus. It's anticipated that Dominick's CD will be out some time this year. That story comes to use from ideastream's Senior Arts Reporter, David C. Barnett.
And Howie Smith, one of this area's finest jazz musicians, recognized for his excellence in 1985 with a Cleveland Arts Prize for music has written over 200 works, appeared on dozens of albums and performed with legendary artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley and the Cleveland Orchestra. A look at his career comes to us from filmmaker Ted Sikora and the Cleveland Arts Prize.
And we look at the legacy of a Clevelander, Frank Vlchek, who helped thousands "fix" what ailed them.
John Clayton, Musician
Jeff Clayton, Musician
Dominick Farinacci, Musician
Tommy LiPuma, Record Producer
Howie Smith, Musician
Frank Vlchek, Manufacturer